


Moonbroch

by KZelda, Lost_Sparrow



Series: From Dusk 'Til Dawn [1]
Category: Linked Universe - Fandom, The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Angst, Blood, Blood and Gore, Cussing, Cute MidLink Fluff, Dark Magic, F/M, Fluff, Graphic depictions of violence - Freeform, Heavy Angst, Linked Universe (Legend of Zelda), Major Character Injury, Other, Romance, Serious Injuries, Some drama sprinkled in, Torture, Twili - Freeform, Violence, Whipping, lots of blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-18
Updated: 2020-08-07
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 33,564
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24783841
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KZelda/pseuds/KZelda, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lost_Sparrow/pseuds/Lost_Sparrow
Summary: It was nearing week two of their stay in Lorule, a mirror world of Hyrule according to Legend. This was the realm in which Ravio resided, Legend's near identical other self save for his bright emerald eyes and raven hair. With some coaxing and quite a bit of whining, Ravio had managed to convince Legend and the others to stay at Lorule Castle where he now lived with Princess Hilda. The other Links speculated how that had even come to be, but the questions only made Ravio turn scarlet and retreat into his oversized bunny hood.
Relationships: Link & Midna (Legend of Zelda), Link/Malon (Legend of Zelda), Link/Midna (Legend of Zelda)
Series: From Dusk 'Til Dawn [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1792576
Comments: 51
Kudos: 131





	1. Shrouded Echoes

**Author's Note:**

> WARNING: PLEASE read all of the listed tags and heed the archive warnings! All should apply eventually to this work! You have been warned!
> 
> **Bigmadonline helped Beta Read and edit the work as a whole!
> 
> This is a long-running, multi-arc fanfiction that Kay and I are working very hard on. We hope you enjoy reading this work as much as we enjoyed creating it!

It was nearing week two of their stay in Lorule, a mirror world of Hyrule according to Legend. This was the realm in which Ravio resided, Legend's near identical other self save for his bright emerald eyes and raven hair. With some coaxing and quite a bit of whining, Ravio had managed to convince Legend and the others to stay at Lorule Castle where he now lived with Princess Hilda. The other Links speculated how that had even come to be, but the questions only made Ravio turn scarlet and retreat into his oversized bunny hood. 

It was approaching midnight when Hilda heard the familiar tread of bare feet outside the door of her study. Over the past few nights, she had heard one of her guests awake at this hour, waltzing about.  _ Oh for Loria's sake...  _

Shoving her seat out from under her, she set her quill down in her inkwell and turned her attention to the hall. Peering out, she caught a flutter of candle light pass into the hall that led down to the first basement level of the palace. Frowning, she sighed and gathered her silk nightgown, trotting after the prowler. For the last time, she thought she had explained to everyone the toilets were located in the left wing next to the guard keep! 

Before the foreigner could walk further down the hall, she cleared her throat and rounded the corner, spotting the distant candle light. "You, there! Stop!" The princess walked stiffly toward what little light stood out against the cool, dark shadows of the stonework passageway. "What business do you have out and about at this hour?"

Legend drew a knife as he whipped around to meet the Lorulian Princess. His heart leapt to his throat as shock crossed his face.  _ Oh may Hylia smite me. _ Hilda did not look too happy. He could see the slight shadows underneath her eyes, presumably from staying up late one too many nights. That was typical of her. After all, he and Zelda did wish for her kingdom to have a triforce. An act of selflessness that did not go unnoticed. 

Despite being Hylian, Hilda awarded him citizenship in Lorule, allowing him to come and go in the kingdom whenever he pleased. As of now, her kingdom was being fixed, the fissures had remained but the deep cavernous cracks were not forgotten. Legend was thankful that the fissures wouldn't be going away any time soon. Various bridges were being built by volunteers as the Lorulian people were easing out and relaxing. They had remained so hostile because of the dark magic that Yuga once threw over the land. 

"It's just you," He murmured. 

He put the knife away as he ran a hand through his hair. He wondered just how well her hearing was, because normally he was as quiet as a chapel mouse. But right now she didn't seem too happy. 

"What are you doing up so late,  _ princess _ ," He emphasized her title and the blush on Hilda's cheeks said it all.

Hilda's frown deepened as she took in Legend's bedworn nightshirt and cotton shorts, her brow curving upward at his question, alas no sooner realising he was studying her own attire. She began to turn scarlet. "By Loria! I never thought of you as a man of indecency!" she barked, only for her lips to curve into a thin smile. "My dear Link... You know you're supposed to be sleeping with your erm... Relatives." She patted down her nightgown, covering her chest bashfully before she started again. "I was taking care of some very important inquiries having to do with the townspeople."

The candle Legend held flickered in the low light, the shadows dancing and fluttering about, as if avoiding the bobbing glow. "Tell me..." She looked into his deep cobalt hues, her ruby eyes seeming to glow in the darkness. "Why do you wake up countless nights? Do you fear sleep?" 

Before her question could be answered, an ominous, chilling air breathed into the hallway, ancient whispers crawling through the crevices of the stonework walls. The candle sputtered, and the flame was snuffed out in a curl of smoke. The whispers grew louder as the darkness consumed them, apparent now that the whispering was chanting.

Hilda looked about the hallway, her gaze unchanging as if she were unimpressed by the malicious, icy presence that clung heavily to the atmosphere, slowly turning her gaze back to Legend. "Apologies..." She said in a low tone, her eyes flitting about curiously as the chanting died down. "Sometimes the dark magic we keep trapped below tends to... Filter through our binding spells."

Legend glanced down the hallway then back at the princess with a skeptical look.  _ Riiight _ . He could feel that dark magic and he knew that he wasn't the only one. If anything he was on the hunt for Twilight. The Ordonian has been acting strange ever since they first arrived in Lorule. He seemed irritated, twitchy, and not his normal self. 

"Sleep fears me," Legend said with a smirk as his eyes contained a playful gleam. "It wishes to not experience the terrors that go on in my mind." He gave a sigh. "We should both be heading off to bed. I know that you need your sleep more than anything." 

The two exchanged a nod. With that he turned on his heel and headed down the original direction he planned on going. Legend heard the door to Hilda's study close with a soft  _ click _ . Now he could hatch out his plan. He had heard Twilight leave the room, the one that Hilda oh so graciously gave to him and the Ordonian to share, he was just grateful there were two beds. He waited awhile, hoping that Twilight was just walking around the castle in order to find some semblance of tiredness. Typically, Legend would do that whenever sleep eluded him. But Twilight? He was taking longer than normal. 

After turning a corner, he nearly dropped the candle when a silhouette suddenly came into view. Legend's heart practically pounded out of his chest, his pulse racing a million miles a minute. He saw that it was Twilight, just... standing there. Legend walked around to his front, noticing the dead and dull look in his eyes. He waved his hand in front of the Ordonian's face hoping to get his attention. Nothing. 

"Twilight," He shook the hero. "Twilight!" A little louder this time. 

_ You leave me no choice. _

Legend reared a fist back and slugged him hard right in the shoulder. It was enough to get Twilight's attention as the older hero reacted by snatching Legend by the collar and slamming him into the wall. The shorter hero looked up and noticed the anger that raged inside those ice blue eyes.  _ Oh shit, I'm dead.  _

Once he realized who it was, did the angry look fade away. Twilight relaxed and gently set him down. 

"Don't startle me like that," He murmured as he glanced down the corridor. "Don't you know not to sneak up on people?"

"Sneak up on you?" Legend answered with a question. "You startled me by standing just around a corner. Nearly gave me a goddess-damn heart attack." He murmured. 

Twilight glanced back down the corridor then back to Legend. 

"What  _ are  _ you doing down here anyway?" Legend asked, raising a brow. "You should've been back a while ago." 

Twilight shrugs, the dull look in his eyes returning, he looked tired and drained. If anything, his mind was elsewhere. 

"Alright tough guy," Legend tugged Twilight along. "Let's head back before we get bitched at by Hilda again."

The two headed back down the corridor, proceeding to go back to their rooms. Twilight remained silent the entire way back, often glancing behind him. He could feel the dark magic below seeping into his bones as his thoughts were twisted and turned into one focus. 

_ Get down to the basement. _

_ ~~~~ _

Midna awoke with a start, her breath hitching sharply in her throat. Her heart was pounding furiously in her chest as she pushed her hand over her sternum to calm herself.  _ Another dream about him...  _ Once the Princess of Twili had properly recomposed herself, she swept her dark linens aside gently, then rose from her bed, stretching lithely with a faint yawn. She turned, half expecting him to be there next to her, giving her that same bemused look as he always did, but was always disappointed to see he was nowhere to be found... 

_ Link...  _

The aching hole in her heart had never left since the day she had vanished, sealing herself and the Realm of Twilight away from Hyrule for all eternity. It was better this way, she would tell herself, trying to reassure she had committed to the right course of action. This way, no one like Zant could try and take over the Realm of Light ever again... Since then, every mirror had been shattered in the kingdom by her orders. Any lingering teleportation magic was sealed away for good. 

And yet...

Her selfish nature always betrayed her... The princess' deep scarlet eyes trailed to where the Replica Mirror stood in her bedroom, dark and unnatural magic pulsing from where it lay dormant behind a dark cloth. Some part of her hoped... No, yearned for her Hero to come through that portal and whisk her back to the Realm of Light. Every time she stared at the silver edges that stood out from underneath the drapery, it beckoned her to him. That hole in her heart would tear open wider, screaming at her to think of herself. To be the selfish, cruel and cold Princess she had been before.

What made her stop, though, every time was  _ him _ . Link... He would never approve of that. Besides... She never knew if he truly returned those feelings for her. There were women in his village far better suited for him. A pang skipped off her chest, shaking her from her daze. 

When had she...? 

The cloth, once covering the mirror, was now held in her hands. The mirror stood bare against the cool air in her bedroom, whispering, ancient magic reverberating through the enchanted glass. 

_ It was calling to her... It wanted to pull her in. _

A warm, familiar presence was drawing her closer, tied to her soul as if by an invisible cord of fate. "Link...?" She whispered, pressing her delicate fingers over the mirror's surface. Just as she had felt the presence, it soon vanished as if it were never there... Her eyes fluttered, and she bowed her head in disappointment. Oh, how cruel the goddesses could be... Of course he wasn't there...

"Stupid mirror..." she growled, throwing the curtain back into place over the Replica Mirror, then folded her arms over her chest as silver tears began to roll silently down her cheeks.

The two heroes were back at the room within a matter of minutes. Legend was able to fall asleep rather quickly but Twilight, he lied there staring up at the ceiling that gnawing and strange feeling from earlier lingered. Something was down there and he was determined to see what it was. Twilight felt it the moment he landed in Lorule. They ended so far from the castle that getting there took days. 

But that feeling  _ never  _ went away. 

He contemplated sneaking down there again, but was afraid to disturb Legend, causing the shorter hero to go find him  _ again _ ; he wanted to avoid Hilda again as well.  _ And I thought my Zelda was scary.  _ A shiver ran down his back at the thought of Hilda. Her vibrant red eyes startled Twilight the moment they met. But he couldn't judge her, she offered so much hospitality in letting them stay at the castle. 

"Goddess-fucking-damnit," He murmured. 

Twilight rose from the bed and slipped on a pair of slippers, taking care not to rustle too much to disturb the sleeping form on the other side of the room. Silently he slipped into the hall and crept downward, heading back towards the way he was going mere minutes before. The calling was getting stronger by the second. 

_ I'm coming,  _ He thought.  _ I can hear you. _


	2. Escaping the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You want to touch it so that you can be reunited with the girl you heart aches for.
> 
> "Who's there?" He asked as he glanced around the room. "Show yourself!"
> 
> Go ahead! You'll be reunited! I can see it in your heartsfire.
> 
> "No, I-I can't... I-"
> 
> She’s waiting. Don’t make her wait any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Enjoy!!

"Princess?" A voice asked urgently from the other side of her chamber doors. "Princess Midna?! Please, your Highness! I know it is late, however I implore you to spare me a moment! I have urgent news--" 

Midna recognized that voice anywhere. Of course, Dainya would always choose the worst times to hold court with her. It unnerved her, how often the councilwoman pestered her. With a roll of her eyes, she quickly dried her cheeks and tugged her silk hood over her wavy mess of unkempt hair, trying her best to look somewhat presentable. 

"Enter." 

The guards posted at her doors shifted the magic crystals so the heavy enchantment spell would allow the councilwoman in. Midna gazed at the doorway as Dainya walked in, her own appearance haggard. Her milky skin was now paler, her cheeks flushed a deep blue as if she had been running. With a short bow, she stepped ever closer to Midna, presenting a scroll in her hands. "Your Majesty... There is news of an organized coup led by Sirgil, leader of the Lethor clan. He seeks to assassinate you and take the throne--!" 

Midna plucked the scroll from the maiden's grasp, then peeling the purple seal adorning the parchment. After skimming over it's contents a moment, she tossed the scroll over her shoulder and sighed. 

"Let them come, then..." 

Her words were so soft, Dainya for a moment was afraid she had misheard the princess. "Your Highness?"

"I said let them come!" Midna snapped, her red eyes flaring with a fiery passion. "Let Sirgil enter the palace on his own accord. Invite him in! Oh, his army too! By all means, let the whole Lethor clan enter this goddess forsaken place!" She chuckled lowly, her eyes saddened as she stared back at Dainya. "Sirgil is a coward, Dainya. He may be the leader of a clan, but that does not make him invincible. I have dominion over this whole realm. Do you really, truly think, that one Twili can stand against me?"

Dainya shrank back as Midna took a step forward, already shaking her head to the question. "N-no! Princess, I meant no insult to you! It's just that... Sirgil claims he has a mirror to the Realm of Light!" 

Midna's eyes widened, rage encompassing her features. "He WHAT!?"

Dainya bowed deeply, shaking her head again in fear. "Please, Princess Midna! We must take action to stop Sirgil! I fear he will try and follow the path Zant choose to take several years ago..."

Twilight found himself at the same corner he was at mere moments before. He stared down the corridor as the aura of dark magic heavy grew thick in the air. With a deep breath he continued on, the doors passing by in a slew of colors as time seemed to slow down. With each breath the steps seemed to echo in his ears, his breathing following as an aftershock. It felt as though he could physically see the echo waves spreading throughout the floor. The thoughts previously in his mind were wiped at the force of the power that came from down the corridor because it seemed to seep through the floors as it crept along the walls. 

He could hear the whispers, the black and purple smoke erupting from below like water slowly rising in a ravine. What the hell is that?  _ You’re hallucinating, _ Twilight thought.  _ You’re tired and this is a dream. _ But this didn’t feel like a dream. This felt like the dark magic of the shadow crystal, shrouding him in total darkness. 

Twilight came upon an old wooden door. The wood itself was faded as it appeared to be a dark type that was rich in color ages ago, but faded to a lighter color while the hinges were slowly rusting over. Then the lock. An intricate lock with thick chains kept the door from being opened. The symbols were a mix of Twili and-

Wait? Twili?!

He took a closer look at the lock, recognizing some of the symbols. He raised a hand to skim his fingertips over it, but the second he did the lock began to glow a blue-green color as it spread throughout the symbols. It stretched along the chains and to the hinges. Then there was a sudden click. The lock and chains clattered and clanged to the floor, echoing down the corridor. 

_ So much for being quiet.  _

When the door opened, the sheer force from the heat wave of power nearly knocked him over as nausea quickly set in.  _ You're fine, Link, _ He thought.  _ You're almost there.  _ He has felt worse pain and the feeling of such he grew accustomed to quickly. The steps were steep and worn and old as he traveled down the spiral case. Twilight could tell that no one had been down there in years because the musty smell almost made him gag. Water damage to the stone walls left massive stains that were left with darkened edges, moss and mold grew in corners and along the steps, more than likely releasing their spores to cause the musty odor. 

When he reached the bottom, Twilight heard this faint humming almost like a bumble bee buzzing in his year. It was incessant and unrelenting, a slight headache blooming in the back of his skull. Then came the white heavenly glow that pulsated from the adjacent room.

The humming turned into a choir like noise as Twilight rounded the corner and laid eyes on the object before him. Pristine glass surface that was decorated with the symbols of the golden sisters all of which was against a smooth black rim. His eyes adjusted to the light as horror and sadness and shock all mixed into one crossed his face. 

_ What in Hylia's name was that doing in Lorule?! _

An echoing explosion followed the councilwoman's haunting words. Midna's eyes flew to the balcony, her breath hitching as she took in the ancient, dark magic that began to pour into the atmosphere. 

"Oh, goddesses... He's already here," whispered Dainya, taking a step back. "The spy that reported to us had warned me there was little time to prepare, but I had no idea it would..." 

Immediately, Midna stood, summoning every ounce of magic within herself. In the Twilight realm, she had unfathomable power, but this new magic...  _ Dark  _ magic. It felt as though it were sapping the natural magic from within the kingdom, fueling the spellcaster.  _ Sirgil _ ... Midna thought bitterly, grinding her teeth. Speaking the tongue of her ancestors, she created a vast barrier that encompassed the palace grounds, shielding those who dwelled within the castle walls. She then tried expanding the field of magic beyond in an attempt to push Sirgil and his traitorous forces back. 

It wasn't working.

With every passing moment, Midna could feel the ancient magic within her slowly draining out. She let out a frustrated cry of agony, her skin paling as her Twili markings pulsed weakly with enchantment.  _ No! _ She would not let him come! She had to protect her people!

Her fiery eyes began to glow pure blue, Twilight energy flowing through every cell in her body as her form slowly levitated off of the ground. She channeled the spell back at Sirgil, managing to push his forces farther beyond the castle walls. She growled in frustration, then let loose a scream as the magic coursing within her pushed back with everything she had.

Then she saw him. A phantom projection of the traitor pulsed before her, smiling menacingly. 

"Princess Midna of the Realm of Twilight. You cannot stop me, or my forces from invading your domain. Your time as ruler has come to an end. I, Sirgil of the Clan of Lethor, will rule as Lord Ganondorf once reigned, and bring about Lord Zant's vision."

With a simple  _ snap _ , Midna felt everything within her break. All at once, the Twili magic drained from her body, and the last thing she saw before she fell into darkness was Sirgil standing tall, looming over her with his flickering projected form.

  
  
\-----------

He inched closer and closer to the mirror, memories flashing back from his adventure. The sages, Ganondorf’s execution and… Midna leaving. His heart ached and yearned to go back to that day, to prevent her departure. The three remaining mirror shards had been put back together, it caused a chain reaction and brought the mirror to life as the portal opened. And it did just that right now. Twilight's mind raced faster than the speed of light as he tried to process just how another Mirror of Twilight was down in Lorule. 

Wait.... what did Legend say about this place when they first arrive?

_ "Lorule is Hyrule's counterpart, anything that existed above is down here." _

Twilight wasn't sure if he should be horrified or shocked or angry.  _ Did Hilda know about it as well?  _

The intricate design on the mirror itself reflected onto the floor the moment Twilight was face to face with it. He reached out to touch the surface, the glass colder than Snowpeak and Hebra combined. But yet it emitted a heat that was so wonderfully welcomed as it's been three years since he last saw the mirror up close. But he pulled his hand back terrified that the mirror would shatter again.

_ But  _ you  _ didn't shatter it, Link,  _ He tried to reassure himself.  _ Midna did that herself.  _

**_You want to touch it so that you can be reunited with the girl you heart aches for._ **

"Who's there?" He asked as he glanced around the room. "Show yourself!"

**_Go ahead! You'll be reunited! I can see it in your heartsfire._ **

"No, I-I can't... I-"

**_She’s waiting. Don’t make her wait any longer._ **

And he did. The cool of the glass warmed upon his touch as the mirror opened, the warmth welcoming as the light enveloped him, gone and out of sight.

His feet touched solid ground seconds later as he fell to his knees. Twilight raised his head, vision blurry as it adjusted to the new lightning. 

**_Welcome home._ **

That voice again. Who was it? 

Twilight's vision came into focus and they widened as big as saucers the moment he realized exactly where he was. The Palace of Twilight. It was a bedroom no less, the windows void of curtains to get a glimpse outside. The sky was a dark purple, with black clouds against a golden backdrop, the atmosphere tight and thick. A sense of relief and warmth washed over him as this heavy feeling in this chest sunk deep.

Tears brimmed in the corners of eyes, hiccups of sobs caught in his throat, refusing to escape past the lump that formed in his throat. That feeling from earlier came back, his mission wasn't over. He had to go to them, whoever it was. So, Twilight stepped out of the bedroom and looked around deciding to head left down the corridor. 

  
  
\-----------------

"How touching... The Princess tried so hard," Sirgil mocked, then turned his gaze to Dainya. "Open the gates at once, councilwoman. I await here with an army of over seven thousand. We outrank even your elder council members, easily." 

Dainya flinched away, then shook her head. "You monster! Why are you doing this?! Achieving the Triforce of Power will kill you unless you are a worthy vessel--"

"I  _ am  _ a worthy vessel!" Sirgil hissed, his eyes alight with a dangerous, crimson energy. "And if you do not open the gates on command, I will be forced to blow them down. Then... I'll kill everyone in this castle. Including you." His eyes flitted down to where Midna lay, and he grinned maniacally. "Oh, dear. She's looking a bit pale, wouldn't you say, councilwoman?" 

Dainya could only glare at Sirgil, but she knew she was trapped. There was no way around this... They were cornered, with the rest of the kingdom in the grasp of a tyrant. "...Open the gates, Guyas..." she murmured, her expression unwavering as she glared at Sirgil. The guard standing watch gawked, looking between the magic projection of Sirgil and the councilwoman. "Guyas, please! Tell the guards to open the gates!" Dainya pleaded, tears now brimming in her eyes. 

The guard bowed then, shortly, and left the room. Sirgil lowered his hand, allowing the blood red magic to fizzle out. "How wonderful... What a lovely  _ pet _ ." He mused, then his illusion faded.

"Dainya..." Midna croaked. 

Dainya looked to the princess, her eyes wide. She quickly ran to the princess' side, moving Midna so her head was in her lap. Her skin was so cold and so pale. Goddesses... He really did take her magical energy. "Why, Dainya? Why did you allow him entrance...?" Midna gazed up at the councilwoman, her eyes half lidded and lackluster. 

"He would have killed our people..." Dainya said quietly, her lips trembling, bowing her head. "I'm so sorry, Midna..."

Moments later, the sound of steel plated boots echoed down the halls, Sirgil making his way rudely to the chamber where Midna lay. The princess had managed enough strength to sit up, her glare ever present on Sirgil, but she knew in her condition she could do nothing. 

"Your Highness," Sirgil balked, tipping his head to Midna in mockery. "If all goes as I say, then everyone lives. Those are the conditions. However, if there's even a single toe out of line... You, and your castle of half-witts, will be executed. Now... Princess Midna, almighty sorceress of the Realm of Twilight. Bow to me, and surrender your throne so I may obtain dominion over the ancient magic." 

There was a long pause of silence before Midna broke it with her laughter. Her voice sang about the chambers and echoed down the castle hall before receding altogether. "Oh, Sirgil... It's rather adorable you think that you can take the throne from me. I shall never bow to you. Nor will the Ancients lend you their strength. They answer to me, and me alone." 

Sirgil growled, his eyes glowing red as he stepped forward. "How dare you!" Before Dainya could stop him, Sirgil roughly grabbed Midna by the neck, his dark magic searing her pallid Twili skin. "Swear your throne to me!" 

Midna gasped, her eyes growing wide as she tried to pry Sirgil's fingers from her throat, only for him to tighten his grip, cutting off her airway altogether. Still, she managed to gag out "Ne-ver." Sirgil was reeling now, slamming the princess back against the wall as he held her in place.

As Twilight journeyed down, he noticed just how eerily quiet and empty it was. No guards posted at the doors, no staff running and dashing about. Being back in the Palace of Twilight brought back a strange feeling of Deja Vu, the inside of it had changed slightly and it felt... cleansed. During Zant's reign the black magic that he wielded had seeped and spread throughout the palace walls, it lingered behind slightly when he was defeated. Midna must've taken care of the rest upon taking the throne.

A sudden slam followed by a cry caught Twilight's attention. He dashed to the lower floors, taking the steps two at a time. There was no time for a walk down memory lane, whoever gave that cry was in trouble...  _ or causing it.  _

He contemplated on transforming to get there quicker, but the time it would take would be wasted and it'd be pointless. 

Upon reaching the doors to the throne room, he found them busted wide open as guards were everywhere and-

**Midna!**

She was thrown against the wall held in place by another Twili with a sinister expression on his face, contorted with an evil smile. Twilight's heart and mind were a jumbled mess because this isn't  _ real _ . He's dreaming, right now he's asleep in the same room as Legend and he will wake up at any minute now. 

The seconds ticked by and still he did not wake. This was real, she was real, and the scene happening before him real. Something in him was bubbling from deep within and it was going to erupt like Death Mountain. 

"Hey!" He screamed as his eyes flashed gold. "Let her go!"

By now, Midna's consciousness hung by a thread. Saliva bubbles at the corners of her mouth, haggard noises leaving her throat. What came next, however, not only shocked her to her core, but it seemed to snap Sirgil as well. 

Midna fell to the floor, limp as a rag doll, as Sirgil turned to face whoever dared interrupt him. He spotted Link from across the chamber, the tyrant's eyes flashing dangerously in response. He could feel he was in the presence of a piece of the Holy Triforce. It's spiritual force seeped out from the man, contorting and mingling with the Twili magic. Sirgil's shock broke into a grin, his eyes glittering red. 

"My, my. How interesting! Your soul has already been heavily tainted by the Twilight, hasn't it, Hylian? You may as well be Twili for how much of our magic dwells within you. It's curious, however... That even though you stand here before me, you have not been transformed." He began to rise into the air, a sinister aura filling the chamber. "I can sense it. You are Hylia's Chosen. The Sacred Beast, the Hero of Courage imbued by the Triforce." Sirgil chuckled, his eyes analysing Link. "Yes... I think I'll keep you around for my entertainment. For now..." He held his hand up in a claw sort of formation, grinning wickedly.  _ "Sit, boy!"  _

He began to stir the Twili magic within Link, forcing him to transform slowly and painfully into his wolf form. "Haeketh, Poatch, take this...  _ Beast _ ... to the dungeon--"    
  
Before Sirgil could say another word, a brilliant ball of blue Twili magic slammed into him, and he flew into one of the adjacent pillars. Midna stood, her eyes shining only faintly with her remaining magic. 

"Only  _ I'm  _ allowed to tell him to 'sit', you bastard!"

Twilight had fallen to his hands and knees as the spell slowly took over. He could feel his bones slowly snapping and shifting, the sound audible as pain bloomed everywhere as groans slipped past his lips. The tips of Twilight's fingers turned into that of claws, eyes shifting between gold and ice blue. 

"B-Bastard." He muttered. 

He wanted to get to Midna, but he couldn't move. It was as if he was frozen in place and he felt nothing but the cold chill of pain. It crept along his spine, seeping deep into his core almost as if an ice keese hit him and froze him into a hylian sized ice cube. 

Midna fought the urge to collapse, her shoulders sulking as her frame wavered. She staggered forward, relief flooding her as she took note of Sirgil's crumpled form on the floor. She stared daggers at the body guards that had their hands on Link, her eyes still glowing. "Release him, you swine, or I'll end your lives before you can even blink."

Quickly, they released Link, his body hitting the floor with a heavy thud. Midna watched in horror as he writhed in pain, his limbs twisting and contorting unnaturally, breaking and reforming to shape more into wolf limbs. He wasn't very far along, but from the short time he had spent transforming under Sirgil's command, it looked like he'd been through hell. 

Gathering her silken gown, she ran to Link's side, her lips trembling as her eyes scanned him. In a few short words, she released him from the spell that bound him, helping to wipe the sheen of sweat from his forehead.

"Link..." She caressed his cheek, trying to take as much of him in as she could. Was this even real...? She had dreamed of this for all of these years, hoping that in some way she would see him again. Of course, this wasn't how she had imagined it would be... What with him still in his half wolf state before her. "I'm going to use... I am going to use what little magic I have left to open a portal to wherever you came from... It... It'll be strenuous. But it'll be enough to get you back to the Realm of Light."

Her smile was tight with pain as her eyes pricked with tears. She had him back... But he couldn't be here. Not at a time like this. She should have never kept that cursed mirror... As Link slowly shifted back to his more normal state, Midna began chanting again, focusing her power on the mirror she kept in her room. The Replica Mirror, which she selfishly kept to herself all these years. 

"Midna, behind you!" Dainya had regained consciousness just in time to see a ball of energy being hurled at the princess by Sirgil, who was still trying to reorient himself after the blast. Midna had no time to react as the dark magic slammed into her, sending her crashing against the opposite wall.

Twilight managed to get to his feet, slightly disoriented as the loud  **_BANG_ ** made him aware of the situation that was currently unfolding. He could hear Sirgil in the background but the main focus was Midna. What the hell was happening here? If anything Sirgil looked sort of like Zant so-

Wait-

No! No no no no! That can't happen again! Not right now! 

Twilight rushed to her side taking her into his arms. Tenderly he brushed her hair back, not believing that he was here right now with her. He figured that he would never see her again. Goddesses she was beautiful, even in her true form her beauty gave way more to show. He remembers running to her after the battle with Ganondorf, relieved beyond hell and back that she was alive. 

He often reminisces of that moment. Even Zelda herself was overjoyed as the curse upon Midna had been broken. 

Twilight was never going to part with her again. Not now, not ever.

Columns of Light enveloped the room one by one, the ancient sages of the mirror stepping forward, their eyes dull and colorless. In their strange, ancient tongue, they commanded the mirror to open, all while holding Sirgil in a cage of Light. One of the Sages stepped forward, it's lifeless gaze on Midna. 

"Go. Take the princess back to the world in which you dwell," it commanded Link. Dainya also nodded, her eyes scanning the hovering forms around the room. 

Sirgil shrieked in anger, slamming wave after wave of harbored magic into the confines of his makeshift prison as if he were a toddler throwing a tantrum. "Once I escape, you all shall perish! All of you!"

One of the Sages turned to him. "You cannot kill us, as we are bound by the Mirror. The councilwoman that summoned us has done so to keep your intentions at bay. You shall never become ruler so long as the princess breathes."

Sirgil growled, then cried out in anguish, his whole body radiating with hatred. His red eyes glowered at Link, who was preparing to leave with the princess in his grasp. 

_ If he couldn't kill the princess, then maybe...  _

A grin surfaced on his face, as he whispered one final incantation. A tiny, dark orb, no bigger than the tip of a quill, floated out from the cage and drifted to the Hylian. None were aware of the dark Twili magic that had entered through the back of Twilight's neck, a dark star like pattern no bigger than a freckle taking shape where the spore had rooted itself. Sirgil began laughing, then, satisfied that no matter what, he would get his way. 

"That's right, beast! Run! Run with your precious princess! Mark my words, though... I will come for you! And when the time comes, you shall bow to me!"

Sirgil's cries had fallen on deaf ears as Twilight bolted into a run, wasting no time. He bolted back up the stairs searching for that bedroom.  _ Which door?! Which fucking door is it?! _

Until he heard the humming. Like a moth to a lamp Twilight followed it finding the bedroom. In a rush, he placed Midna on the bed then barricaded the doors, finding anything he could to shove in front. Quickly he grabbed Midna and with her in his arms he jumped through the mirror and they were teleported back to the basement in Lorule Castle. The hero fell upon landing as the Twili slipped from his grasp, landing just a few feet away. There was a noise seconds after and Twilight looked back to find the mirror cracking each tendril stretching along the glass like vines crawling up along the side of an old abandoned house. Slowly the pieces began to fall and give way, crinkling and clattering to the floor. 

"No!" Twilight cried. 

A few more pieces fell then all was silent. He waited. Waited for more to fall, waited for the mirror to shatter again entirely. But it didn't, however, it lost its light and fell dormant like an age old volcano the glass black and colorless. 

When all was said and done, Twilight was reminded of the princess and rushed to her side, picking her up and into his arms once more. 

He held her close as he gently cradled the back of her head. She was here! After all this time she was really here! He wanted to reach out and touch her cheek but pulled back.  _ She's not made of glass,  _ He reminded himself.  _ She will not break. _ He opened his mouth to say something when the door burst open and two figures came charging in. In the dim lighting, Twilight made out the form of Time and the Lorulian Princess.  _ Ohhh how he was in for it. _ He prepared himself for a double lecture, but right now the only thing on his mind was Midna. 

"Cub!" Time cried as he took his protege into his arms. "What happened to you? You weren't in your room and-" 

Time stopped when he followed Twilight's gaze down to the sleeping form that lay in his arms. The smile on his protege's face said it all as tears brimmed in the corners of his eyes. With one shift of his head, Twilight met the sky blue eyes of the old man and Time saw the utter happiness and joy that rested deep within that icy blue gaze.


	3. Sweet Reunions

"What in all of the goddesses' names were you  _ thinking _ ?" Hilda began, her ruby eyes glittering with anger. Before she could say more, Time turned his gaze to the princess and held up a hand, trying to calm her. 

"Your Highness... I understand, you have every right to be upset. You can even reprimand me later in his stead, since he is under my watch. But right now, we have someone here that needs our help." Time stepped aside to give Hilda a better look. 

Hilda scanned the delicate, slender form before her. Magic weakly radiated from her body. Strange markings adorning her skin pulsed faintly with enchantment as the woman's breathing grew haggard and labored. Her skin was a pale blue, her hair a fiery, glowing tangle of orange and gold. Hilda’s gaze shifted to Twilight, and she pursed her lips, seeing the expression he was giving this strange woman. 

_ Love.  _

_ He loves this woman dearly. _

With a deep, heavy sigh, Hilda pushed a hand to her forehead and shook it, releasing a few dry chuckles. "Very well... I will be dealing my fair share of words for you both later this evening. For now, though... Come. She can take my chambers until she recovers..."

The ordonian withheld any help from Time as he managed to pick up the Twili. Her head fell to the crook of Twilight's neck. He gave a small smile as he carried her back upstairs. Hilda led the way back from where they came, taking a right at the corridor and down three doors before she opened the one to her room. Twilight quietly stepped inside minding Midna's head as he moved to place her on the bed. 

Naturally she relaxed back against the plush mattress, seemingly to be more at ease. The candles in the chandelier above came to life with magic, the dim glow bouncing off the walls in waves, illuminating the blue markings upon the princess's skin. Twilight sat on the edge of the bed as he held her hand, stroking her knuckles. 

_ Please wake soon, love. _

There was so much he had to tell her, so many questions he had to ask. But he knew that she had just as much to ask him as well. 

Once the pair were comfortably set, Hilda pressed her arms over her chest and turned to Time.

"Right..." Time said, rubbing the back of his neck.

Hilda quirked an eyebrow, her eyes feigning unamusement. "The mirror that Twilight broke was a family heirloom given to me by my mother. When I say the Dusk Mirror is  _ priceless _ , I--" The words caught in her throat, and she firmly shut her eyes, turning her head in anger. "... I don't know what is to become of this. But I do know one thing. I'm putting you boys too work in the castle. There's too much to be done, and with so many of you here, I think making yourselves useful would be far better than  _ breaking  _ more of my possessions, now, wouldn't you agree?" 

Time winced, slow to nod in response. Here he was, well over six feet in height, responding to a tiny Lorulian Princess as if she were his mother. "Right, then..." Hilda said firmly, then waved Time toward the door. "Let's give them some time together and figure out job sorting, hm?"

\------------------

A few hours passed before Midna woke with a start. Her breathing hitched, and she found the familiar stain of tears soaking her cheeks. Slowly, she wiped them away, remembering the dream of Link she had had. How strange a dream it was, too... 

As the room came into focus around her, a swell of confusion took hold of her. These were not her chambers! This wasn't her bed! Panic set in next, as her mind scrambled to grasp that her "dream" was no dream after all.   
  
It was reality.

Oh...  _ Oh goddesses...  _

"Link--" She whispered, choking back a sob. Where was--?!

Her eye caught movement on the far side of the bed next to her. As she shifted her gaze, her eyes widened. There, sitting in a chair with his head down on the mattress, was Link.  _ Her  _ Link.

Twilight had felt a sudden shift in the bed and jolted awake as a hand began to card through his hair. He shot upright, his blurry vision focused on the Twili princess before him. 

"M-Midna." He breathed, moving closer to her. 

In one swift motion Twilight took Midna into his arms, relieved, excited, and over the moon of joy. However, she wasn't herself and he knew that. 

"You're alright," He whispered. "You're safe here." 

The Ordonian pressed a glass of water into her hands as he wiped away the sweat and tears with a damp cloth. She looked so pale, so tired, and so weak. Twilight knew she was terrified of the strange new place she currently resided in, but he was going to make sure that she knew she was safe.

Midna held the glass with trembling fingers, her eyebrows knit with worry. Instead of drinking anything, she simply stared at the glass with a forlorn expression. She didn't even know where to begin, let alone how to even explain to him  _ why  _ she left. Why she sealed herself away forever from the Realm of Light... 

And yet...

Gently, she pried one of her hands from the water glass and hesitantly outstretched one of her hands. With tender grace, she slid his fingers over his cheek, her breath hitching as she felt his warm skin beneath her fingers. A small smile parted her lips, her eyes growing misty. 

"H-How...? How can this be...?" She pressed her palm against his cheek, caressing her thumb beneath his eye, tracing the twilight scars. "M...My people--" her eyes grew horrified as she suddenly remembered. "Sirgil! Link! I-I have to get back! He's trying to take the throne!" She moved to stand, but the world pitched and swayed about her. The glass slipped from her hand and crashed to the floor, the princess of Twilight sinking back down onto the mattress. 

Weakly, she attempted to look up at Link, her forehead glistening with sweat again. "Take me back... Please, Link. You must! I need to return! I need to kill that-- That son of a bitch!" The tears that had been threatening to fall began to pool out like waterfalls. "Please... Please, take me back..."

"You are not going anywhere," Twilight kept his hands on her shoulders, using very little strength to keep her on the bed. "Midna, please you need your rest." 

Midna stayed quiet as soft sobs wracked her frame. The hero took her into her arms once again, rubbing small circles along her back, his shirt wet as the teardrops fell. Twilight knew she was delirious, he's experienced it himself and see his comrades go through it one too many times. 

"I can't let you go back,"  _ Not when I just got you back after so long. _ But the words remain unsaid. "The mirror is cracked and the sages sealed it to protect you. Whoever that was in the palace is after you." Gently he made the Twili look at him, her bright orange eyes glistening with tears. "Believe me Midna, when I say that you are safe here." 

Twilight raised a hand and cradled her cheek, wiping away the tears with his thumb. 

"Come," He softly said as he maneuvered the princess to lie back against the bed. "You need your rest. You've been through so much in such little time." 

After he brought the covers up and turned to leave, Twilight felt his tunic tugged. His gaze shifted to hers and found that pleading look at that said,  **_"Don't go."_ ** With a smile he sat on the bed as he held her hand. 

"I'm not going anywhere." He promised.

For a long time, there was only silence between them. Midna worried at her lip, feeling guilt seep through her to her core. She should be  _ there,  _ back in the Twilight Realm... She should be protecting her people. She should be  _ fighting  _ Sirgil... That Goddess-damned coward! A grimace splayed across her face, and she tightened her hold on Twilight's hand. Midna knew that Link was right. It wasn't safe for her to return... Not when all of her Twili magic was spent. It would take weeks, maybe months for it to return as it once was. 

Taking in a long, shaky breath, she slowly released the grief she felt, and turned her focus back to Link. Her eyes fluttered over his frame, noting how much he had changed. His hair was longer, more shaggy. His eyes were rimmed with deep, dark circles, as if he hadn't slept well in weeks. Most worrying to her though were those scars that adorned his flesh on his face. They were the marks of the Sacred Beast, scars of using the Twili magic for far too much. That was something she would be interrogating him on later...

But for now...

Slowly, she laced her fingers in his, interlocking the spaces between to fit perfectly with his strong, calloused palms. "Every day, I thought about you... I would wake up each morning, hoping you were at my side. I dreamed about you almost every night..." She laughed quietly, drinking in his presence. Oh Goddesses, how she missed him. "Link... You were never supposed to come back to the Twilight Realm. I broke every mirror in the kingdom... All except mine. I... Was selfish. I secretly had hoped you would find a way back to me..." 

She smiled bitterly, shaking her head. "It's silly, I know... I'm a fool. But..."  _ I'm in love with you... _ She wanted to say those words out loud, but they were caught in her throat. She had been in love with him since their journey together... Even now, her aching heart was finally thrumming with joy. "I did all this so that history may never repeat itself. I guess it was all in vain..."

A blush of red crept across his cheeks. Twilight has waited so long to hear that from her and now that those words were up in the air, there was no going back. He should just lay all his cards on the table right now. 

"Y-You did what you thought was right, love," He stammered. "But not a day didn't go by when I thought of you. You don't know how many times our goodbye replayed in my mind over and over, like a broken record." His voice grew shakey. "I... I..."  _ I never stopped loving you _ . 

Twilight squeezed their hands, never wanting to let go. 

"Countless days and nights for the past three years I've thought about you," He murmured, keeping his eyes downcast. His heart was filled with joy but yet sorrow still hung there. "You had every right to shatter the mirror, so please don't let that selfishness take control. You did what was best for both realms." 

With a sigh, he gave one more squeeze. "Everything has been sealed off until we can figure out a way to stop Sirgil. For now," He pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "You will reside here and rest up. We can discuss more of this in the morning."

Midna's heart fluttered as his lips feathered her knuckles, soft as silk. He was beautiful in every way to her... Strong, intelligent, kind, gentle. Most of all, loyal, and undeniably courageous. And of course, there were his features.... By the goddesses, had he gotten more muscular since she last saw him? Even through his cotton nightshirt, the fabric rippled along the lines of his biceps, evening taught in the back over his shoulders. 

She felt the heat rising to her face, and she forced herself to look away, her free hand covering her mouth.  _ Hylia almighty, why was her heart beating so fast? _

At his final words, she looked back up into his brilliant blue eyes through ginger lashes. "Would you--?" She teased her lower lip, brushing her thumb absently over the triforce scar on the back of his hand. "Would you... Lay here with me? I.. I know it's a lot to ask, but..." She squeezed her eyes shut. "I don't think I'll be getting much sleep tonight..."  _ And I don't want to wake another day without you being near. _ She thought to herself.

He could never deny a princess's wish. Hilda wouldn't mind, right? Sure the Lorulian was currently livid with him but he was sure that for this one time she would make an exception. 

Twilight rounded the bed to the other side and crawled in under the covers. Midna had turned to face the hero as he enveloped her with his arms, keeping her close. It felt oh so wonderfully good to have her back in his arms. Where he's able to properly hug her and love her. 

He could feel his heart beating so fast it almost felt like it could burst out of his chest at any given moment. He felt too excited to sleep, but the exhaustion slowly crept up on him. It's been an eventual few hours after all. If Time were here he'd advise his pup to sleep regardless. 

So, with the girl of his dreams, back in his grasp after so long, Twilight's eyes fluttered closed as he fell into a dreamless and peaceful sleep.

Midna wasn't so lucky, as she found sleep nearly impossible. Her mind kept wandering to her people, back to Dainya, the council... Everyone that she knew needed her. Sirgil was sure to cause them trouble and make it so... All because she ran away. How typical... All she seemed to do any more was run from her responsibilities. 

In the dark, she managed to prop her head up on her hand,Twilight's hands wrapped loosely about her waist. He was so close... She always did love this about her adventure with him. Watching him sleep... He was almost angelic.  _ At peace. _

She feathered her fingers through his tousled hair, taking in his warm scent. Pine, with a hint of campfire smoke, and the undeniable smell of dog. Link always seemed to smell like a dog, even in his Hylian form. It brought a small smile to her face. He was her stupid wolf through and through, no matter what shape he took. 

Small snores began to come from Link as he dove deeper into sleep, a small dribble of drool pooling onto the silken pillow where he lay.  _ Oh, she would absolutely be teasing him for it later. _ All the same, she pressed a kiss to his forehead, where the star-shaped mark of the beast lay, and nuzzled closer to him, murmuring a soft and almost inaudible, "Good night, my love..."

\-----------------

Twilight jolted awake as the sun slowly rose in the sky as sunlight peeked through the drapes. He shifted to an upright position, his head pounding slightly, then his ears tuned into the sound of rhythmic breathing.  _ Right _ . Midna. So it wasn't a dream, he actually rescued her from the Twilight Realm--actually, back up. He found  _ another  _ Mirror of Twilight when the idea of it seemed impossible, he never imagined that one would be down in Lorule of all fucking places. 

He knew something was off about this kingdom the moment he stepped foot in it and as he drew closer to the castle, he could feel dark magic seeping from the walls as it permeated his core. It sent a shiver down his spine as the whispers came crawling in. They drew him to the mirror from the start and had ignored the calls until last night. 

Everything came rushing back and skimmed the back of his hand along the Twili's soft cheek. Her color was returning and she appeared to be more well rested, but physically? That was the real question. He moved to rise out of bed, but halfway, there was a knock at the door. 

"Uh," He stammered. "C-Come in." 

Entering was Princess Hilda and the look on her face was not pleasant. Twilight felt the color drain from his face as his palms began to sweat, his throat dry no matter how many times he wetted it by swallowing. 

_ He was in for it, and Time's lecture was sure to follow. _

Hilda glanced between Midna, then Twilight, her face that of annoyance. A few seconds ticked by before she decided to respond, pursing her lips. "Please, get dressed. The others have yet to wake, and we plan to let them sleep in. As for your... Girlfriend, there. She may attend this meeting as well-- Oh, and by the way. If I find even a single speck of semen on my sheets, I'll have one of my torture specialists circumsize you." 

With that, Princess Hilda shut the door with a soft, yet daunting  _ click _ .

Of course, Midna heard the whole thing. She had been fake-sleeping, listening in on the conversation, and as soon as Hilda was out of earshot, Midna burst into laughter. 

"I think I like her!" she mused, a few more chuckles slipping past her lips before her face fell.  _ He was still there... _ Link was still there next to her... A soft blush bloomed on her cheeks, which she quickly hid by turning her face. He had remained by her side the whole night... Her heart thrummed in her chest, threatening to jump out. How come she felt so flustered? She and Link had slept side by side many times on their journey together... What made last night any different?

Slowly, she leaned across the mattress, placing a hand on Link's shoulder. "I will go with you... I can help you explain what happened."

"Then we best get going," 

Twilight rose to his feet as he rounded the bed, hovering near the Twili princess as she rose to stand. She swayed a bit before regaining her balance, nearly falling onto the hero, however, he steadied her and gave a reassuring smile. So, with a nod the two followed Hilda. 

The Ordonian's nerves were shot at this point as he could feel the eyes of the gods on him, even from Hilda. She may have been leading them down to the awaiting council chamber but Twilight knew there were eyes on the back of her head watching every move he made. He swallowed down the lump that formed in his throat, anxiety, nervousness, and overall dread sunk down to the pits of his stomach. What awaited him from the Royal Council? 

They arrived at the chamber within a matter of minutes, the doors slowly creaking open. All six council members were seated as Hilda moved to take her own. Twilight and Midna moved to stand against the rightmost wall as the hero kept his gaze down cast. He glanced up momentarily to find-

_ Shit _ . Time. The look on his face wasn't pretty, Hylia only knows what awaited him. 

His fate was in the hands of the council now.


	4. Actions Have Consequences

As Midna stood there alongside Twilight, she glanced over at her wolf-boy to see him shaking slightly.  _ Goddesses _ ... He was actually scared. Without wasting a moment, she grabbed his hand in hers and gave it a light, reassuring squeeze. 

Hilda was the first to stand, her eyes zeroing in on Link and Midna. "I am Princess Hilda of Lorule. Today, you, Link, stand before the Council of Oracles to determine what is to become of you for your actions taken last night. You are here in accordance with breaking into the forbidden lower levels of the palace, and breaching the sacred mirror without notifying me of your plans. Upon returning to Lorule, you also fractured the heirloom of the Royal family."

Pausing a moment, she turned to face the High Council Elder and bowed her head. "Please rise, Herbol. The Council recognizes you as our judge today." Elder Herbol, a hunched over, small man with a rather pointy purple hat and long dark robes, stood then and bowed to the princess. 

He turned his gaze to Link, in which he also bowed, and gave him a small, reassuring smile. 

"My lad, fellow Light Dweller of Hyrule above, greetings to you in accordance with the Council. I am Herbol, the Oracle of Judgement. Please take your place at the podium in the center of the room, and we shall begin by hearing your testimony. Since you have also brought along the foreigner of the mirror, the Council addresses her testimony for further validation." With a nod, Herbol waved his wrinkled hand in the direction of the podium, offering Link another small smile of reassurance.

He swallowed down the lump that formed in his throat as he slowly made his way to the podium. Twilight felt like a specimen under a researcher's eyes, beneath the watchful eyes of the council. Midna had followed along staying close to him, almost reassuring. The moment he stepped up, Twilight glanced up at Herbol, the look of remorse and mercy staring back down at him. Twilight cleared his throat and recounted the events of last night, keeping a steady tone. 

"The mirror was calling to me the moment I stepped inside within Lorule," He began. "I couldn't ignore it so I snuck down to the basement and found the mirror there. But hear me out. In my time there was a mirror just like the one before but it shattered. I am connected to the Twilight Realm so I had to find it."

He took a deep breath. 

"So, I entered it," Twilight continued. "And there I found Midna. Please, you have to believe me when I say her realm is in trouble!"  _ Again.  _ "Another Twili tried to take her throne and he nearly killed her." He was sounding like a madman at this point. "So I made the decision to bring her back to the realm of light. I wasn't expecting the mirror to crack." He shifted his gaze to Hilda. "No matter how many times I apologize it won't fix anything."

Herbol held up his hand gently before the murmurs of the Council could get much louder. "Silence. This is a house of law, not of gossip." He turned back to Link, then nodded. "Young man, no one has declared that your apologies have gone unheard. They are in fact, welcomed here. Under these circumstances, we understand that what you took action to do may have indeed saved this... Twili, you called her? It sounds as though you saved her life, and that will not go unwarranted. Now..." His cloudy, yet warm eyes turned to Midna. "My dear, may we hear your testimony, please?"

Midna bowed her head in response. "My name is Midna, and I hail from the Kingdom of Twilight. I am the Princess of the Twilight Realm, and have dominion over it's magic. Last night, my kingdom was attacked by an onslaught of warriors looking to overthrow me. In my greatest time of distress, I... I may have unintentionally summoned Link to my aid. You see, I kept a Twili mirror to myself.... In hope that one day, he would return to me, and be at my side like we had been in the past..." 

A hush fell over the sanctum, and Midna could feel the heat rise to her face as she continued. "In order to save the Realm of Light three years ago, I traveled as Link's companion. He is a Hero, your Grace. A bearer of the Triforce." Gently, Midna grasped Link's left hand and held it out to the judges. The scar glowed faintly in response, pulsing with what Midna felt was Link's soul essence mingling with the overwhelming wave of Twili magic. She really needed to press him on that matter later...

She continued on, her vibrant red eyes scanning the crowd of onlookers. "Together, Link and I took back the Realm of Light from the evil Usurper Lord Zant, and Lord Ganondorf, who I am sure you are familiar with. After that, I needed to return home, to my people. I used the Twilight Mirror, an exact twin to the mirror that resides in your basement, and escaped back to my world, shattering my mirror..."  _ With one of my tears, _ She had wanted to say, but held herself back so it wouldn't sound like a sob story. 

"To be truthful... I had... I had grown very fond of Link in my time with him. My selfishness is what kept me from destroying my mirror. And ultimately... It is what brought Link to me in a means to save my kingdom." She then looked to Hilda, a plea in her eyes.

"I am addressing Princess Hilda of the court." She bowed deeply, then looked back into her eyes. "Please, your Highness... Link has done nothing wrong. I am completely to blame for this mess... I drew him to me with my magic unintentionally, and we were unaware of the consequences." She bit her lip, then shook her head. "Take me instead! I should be the one that is punished! Please, do not harm him!"

"No!" Twilight cried. "Midna don't!" 

He was more than willing to take her place, he didn't want to see her get harmed because of the actions that he took. 

"If anyone deserves the punishment, it's me," The pleading look in Twilight's eyes told the Oracle to spare Midna. "I committed the act, not her."

He would never be able to live himself if he watched the girl of his dreams get hurt because of him. He prayed that Midna would be spared.

“You can break my soul,” He added. “Take my life away, beat me, hurt me, kill me, but for the love of Hylia, don't touch her.”

"Silence, both of you!" Hilda interjected, her voice carrying about the auditorium. The whole room fell eerily quiet, the only sound were the wheezy rasps that came from Herbol. Once the court had the full attention of the Princess, Hilda straightened her posture and tilted her chin up, a regal look befalling her beauty. "Neither of you are to take the punishment of the mirror. After much discussion last night, your leader, Time, has taken full responsibility for your actions. This morning before the Council was held, the Oracles and myself have already decided his fate, and the punishment that is to befall you." 

She narrowed her eyes at Link. "It has come to my attention that this... Twili... Is also a Princess. Under our court jurisdiction, no harm will come to those under the crown, both ruling in the kingdom and in neighboring kingdoms. That being said, Princess Midna of the Twilight Realm, you will not be punished. However, we require that until you decide to leave Lorule, you are to have guarded supervision." Midna looked as if she were about to protest, but remembered her place, instead humbly bowing her head.

"What becomes of you, Link, Hero of Hyrule and of the Twilight Realm. Your leader, Time, instructed you be put on stable duty. For the coming weeks that you are to stay in Lorule, you are to tend to the stalls. Our stable keep, Melchior, will look over your progress and report to us. As custom, since you are on labor probation, you are to serve your sentence in shackles and attended by a guard at all times."

Her eyes wandered then to Time, who remained unwavering in his position next to her. "As for you, Link, Savior of Hyrule and of Time itself... You have chosen to take on your pupil's jail sentence. You will spend your time in the cell block below the castle in the isolated jail chambers. As customs declare, you will also be shackled. Your allotted sentence will be over in three weeks, the same as young Twilight's. Because Herbol is your judge, there will be no public floggings for any of you." 

Folding her hands over her skirts, Hilda stared coldly down at Twilight and Midna, her ruby eyes chilling. "The Council of Oracles dismisses you. You have one hour to prepare for your sentence time to begin. Court dismissed."

Twilight felt his heart drop when he heard “shackles”. Gently he cradled his right wrist as the cold metal of the shackle felt like a massive weight. He waited for everyone to file out of the courtroom as the rustling of skirts and shoes could be heard. Did he hear that right? He couldn't care less about the stable work, if anything it was a slap on the wrist.

Hilda was the last to leave the room and the moment the door closed, Twilight shot to his feet as anger mixed with guilt raced through his blood. 

"You know I'm more than capable of serving that sentence!" He snapped. "Damnit old man!"

Midna tried to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder but he shrugged it off, eyeing her with a glare. It was a look of  **_Not now_ ** .

"How the hell am I going to explain this to the others?!" He added between clenched teeth. "They'll put the blame on me!"

Time stood, and for the first time that morning he spoke, gently to his pup. "Twilight... It's alright. I still have time to discuss things with them. For one thing, I don't blame you for what you did..." He smiled slightly then, a knowing look twinkling in his eyes. "Look, Cub... Don't beat yourself up. I chose to do this. You are my responsibility, and when it comes down to it... I'm the one that failed you. You didn't trust me enough to come and wake me, nor should I have been asleep. It's always important for one of us to be on watch, even when we're safe. I know that, now..." 

Time pushed his hair back, clearing his throat as he nodded to Hilda. "I should go and get ready...Speak with the others..." Time said, then left the great hall escorted by two enormous guards. 

Now all that remained were Hilda, Twilight and Midna. 

Hilda's harsh demeanor cracked, and she gave Twilight a sad look, her eyes crestfallen. "You know... As angry as I should be, I'm really not. That mirror was passed down for ages in my family, but it meant nothing to me. It held no real sentiment, even if it belonged to my mother..." She pursed her lips, spreading her hands dutifully before her. "I am the ruler of this land. And unfortunately, Herbol and I could not make your punishments any more light. Time will not be punished, he merely will just have to sit idly for the time being in a holding cell. We will supply him with basic needs, and make it as comfortable as possible for him."

"I do not resent you... Either of you. Take what I said with a grain of salt. In the meantime, I'm going to see if I can't repair the mirror somehow... You may go." 

With that, the Princess of Lorule walked out the same door of the Council members, leaving Midna and Twilight to themselves

Twilight remained quiet, Midna standing idly behind him. 

_ It's always important for one of us to be on watch, even when we're safe.  _

He recalled Time's words. The walls of the castle were a proper home and provided plenty of safety, but it's the anxiety and fear and distrust that sat in the depths within every hero. A castle was far from impenetrable as each one had its flaws, one that could ultimately lead to a surge upon it. 

So, did Time really not feel safe within a strange castle? 

Twilight couldn't blame him. The feeling from last night was long gone but the remnants of it were still there. 

Silently he made his way out of the chamber, Midna following closely behind. She's never seen her hero look so guilty, upset, and at war with himself before. But there were more pressing matters to discuss. 

Twilight wasn't prepared to tell the others of Time's jail sentence, praying that the blame wouldn't be put onto him entirely.  _ But Time willingly took it in your place, remember that. _

Right. 

Twilight exited the chambers alone, finding that Midna stayed behind in the shadows upon sensing a magic signature just around the corner. _ If it wasn't Twilight's, then who's? _

"Get into a bit of trouble did you?" 

The sudden voice startled the older hero, causing him to rear back. He whipped around finding Legend leaning against the wall next to the doors.

"How long have you been there?" Twilight asked. "And how much did you hear?" 

"Oh, not a lot."  _ Liar _ . "You and the old man are in some serious shit. Spill, you clearly know something." 

Twilight hesitated glancing, back and forth between Midna and Legend.  _ She can't be revealed just yet.  _

"The others should be here before I say a word,"

Legend scanned Twilight's eyes, finding that he was telling the truth. 

"Then so be it." The veteran said as he turned on his heel. "Everyone else is starting to wake." 

The Ordonian gave a sigh. 

"And for a bit of advice," Legend advised. "Be quiet next time you leave the room. I had my sneaking suspicions you went back." 

_ Fuck. _

While Twilight busied the strange man, Midna was already formulating a spell, one that would conceal her Twili form. She had been up all night thinking about how others would take her appearance... In Lorule, she imagined it was rather normal to encounter the strange and odd ball here and there. The Council hardly bat an eye to her appearance. But now that she would be in the presence of Hylians...

It was startling how self conscious she had grown in the short span of hours she had been with Link. On their journey together, she had been forced to take the appearance of an imp, cursed by Zant and unable to regain her full magic until her curse was broken. In the Realm of Light, she hid within Link's shadow knowing the Hylians would not take kindly to her appearance. The light also hurt her as a Twili being, just as the Twilight harmed Hylians when they came in contact with it. Now that she was freed, Midna was more aware than ever how jarring her true nature would appear to outsiders...

Midna waited until the presence had vanished, quietly stepping out behind Twilight. Where the seven foot Twilight Princess had stood before, a petite Hylian woman with porcelain skin, fiery orange hair that flowed down past her waist in a cascade of waves and deep ruby eyes now stood. Her Twili tattoos remained etched into her skin, however faint and almost invisible to the naked eye. The clothing she wore was similar to the robes she had observed from Twilight's village women, only hers were a soft lilac with deep purple flowers decorating the cotton fabric. 

Twisting her skirts nervously, she spoke up, now having to look up at Link to speak to him. "Who was that...? I... I sensed a strong magical aura from him..."

Twilight gawked at Midna who now stood  _ shorter  _ than him. In a way, he found her just as gorgeous, but Hylia did the sudden height difference make her look cuter than ever. 

"When did you-" He stopped himself.  _ Don't question it, Link _ . A breath. "He is one of the men I'm traveling with, his name is Legend." 

He really wasn't preparing for when he tells her that he's actually an incarnation of himself.  _ He silently prayed that that wouldn't be revealed. _ After running a hand through his hair he motioned for Midna to follow, mentally preparing himself for the reveal of Time's jail sentence.  _ Hylia only knows how the others will take it. _

He noticed that Legend waited for him by the door to the common room that they shared, with the surrounding bedrooms. There, a few of the heroes were awake either talking, having breakfast, or trying not to fall back asleep -poor Sky is trying so hard. 

All attention was on Twilight as he entered the room, with Midna hiding behind him like she used to during their adventure. Legend stood there like the smug bastard he is, with his arms crossed and shit eating grin on his face. 

"Where have you been?" Warriors asked. "Was Time with you?" 

"In a way, yes." Twilight responded. 

_ Great start Link.  _

"What do you mean?" Four asked. 

Twilight bit his lip. 

"Well, uh-" Goddesses this shouldn't be this hard.  _ Just spit it out.  _ "Time took a jail sentence on my behalf." 

Everyone stayed as silent as a tomb, the shock slowly rising with each passing second. No one said a thing and didn't dare to, taking a minute to process the blow. 

_ This wasn't going to end well.  _

"He did what?!" Legend seethed. "What did you do?!"

Wind's lips parted in shock, while Sky was now fully alert, wiping the drool from his chin. War looked like he was about to sock Twilight in the jaw, meanwhile Hyrule only looked on in confusion, and Wild shifted to where he was tucked in the corner of his bed, pulling his hood up. 

Instinctively, Midna stepped out in front of Twilight, her ruby eyes glittering at the other heroes in the room. "Don't be so fast to blame him! The man that you all refer to as Time chose this because he desired to do so willingly. Please... Hear Link out. He will explain all that has transpired. I... It was partially my fault, too, that we are in this situation..." 

Midna's face fell, and silently she took Twi's hand. Just the feeling of knowing he was near to her was comfort enough... Goddesses, she was never going to leave his side ever again. Even if Time hadn't taken Link's sentence in prison, she would have snuck into the cell herself for his sake. Just to be with him... 

"Alright, alright..." One of the other men said - a dusty brown haired fellow, with a rather mousey face and curly hair, waved his hands to get the others to stop throwing accusations. "I just want to know... Who are you again?" 

"My name is Midna. I hail from... From a far away land. The Realm of Twilight, to be exact. I am the princess of that land, and have dominion over its inhabitants and all of its magic." Silence befell the room as all eyes stared at her. She shied back as if to hide behind Link once again. Usually she was better at these sorts of situations, but knowing that these were Link's companions... It startled her.

All eyes were on him at this point and Twilight had to tell the truth one way or another. He felt a reassuring squeeze from Midna, and took a breath. He recounted the events that the day they arrived in Lorule. He told of the strange feeling of magic within the land and in the castle and it grew stronger day by day. He explained that he went down to the basement and found the Mirror of Twilight.

"It's a device that was used to banish interlopers to the Twilight Realm," He told. "In my time it was shattered after my adventure ended, simply for the sake of the realms of light and dark. So, when I found the second mirror I had to go through it." 

_ You did have a choice, Link, He thought. But you listened to your heart rather than your mind. _

The heart does get what it wants. "Midna's palace was overtaken by another evil being and he was determined to get everything he wanted." Twilight added. "That's when I stepped in and saved Midna, but passing back through the mirror caused it to crack and break." 

_ You're almost done.  _

"Then, a court session was held earlier this morning by the princess herself," He shifted his gaze between the others, getting various reactions. "I am to work in the stables as part of my punishment where Time took a jail sentence for three weeks, the same amount of time I am to work in the stables." 

The other heroes took a moment to process what had been said. Warriors was about ready to throw Twilight against a wall, Legend looked livid, and the others.... nothing. 

_ Please say something. Anything.  _ He wanted the silence to be broken. 

"Time!" In a blur, Wind had practically leapt into the older hero's arms with enough force to almost knock him over. Time's low chuckles reverberated off of the carved stonework of the palace walls, the elder hugging the tiny Hylian back. 

"My goodness, what a greeting." Midna turned to look back at Time, her eyes falling on the shackles that already adorned his wrists. The chainlinks  _ clinked  _ together in tandem. 

"Please, step aside. The prisoner is due his belongings before he is to serve his proper sentence in his holding cell." The guard directly behind Twilight said. Midna moved back into the hall, watching as Time disentangled himself from Wind, stepping inside the room crammed full of the adventurers. 

For a few beats, no one said anything. Then, Time spoke, his cadence gentle, yet firm. "Lads... I sense resentment in this room. Don't hate Twilight. I chose to do this on my own accord, and if it were you in Twilight's stead, the same would be so. I wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing any of you were--" 

"Tch, c'mon Old Man! Enough with the bullshit!" Warriors was the first to interrupt, his rage boiling over like an overheated kettle. "If any one of us needed to serve time, let us do it! You're a married man! You have a wife to return to, no doubt a family soon--" 

Time's eye cut up dangerously into War's, all tension in the atmosphere triple to what it had been. "I took the sentence. If any of you have anything else to say, say it now. We don't need any childish banter while I'm gone, or is that also impossible for the lot of you to do while I'm away?" Raising an eyebrow, he dared for another to open their mouth.

Four raised his hand tentatively, to which Time nodded. "I'm just a little confused about one thing... If you're being punished as the leader of our group, shouldn't we all be punished in some way? I mean... If not by Princess Hilda, but by you?" He winced at the onslaught of glares, only shrugging. "What?! Time isn't the only one who failed Twilight! We all did! It's only fair that we should be put to work, too!"

"He... Has a good point..." Sky piped up, pushing himself to stand with a small grunt. "We all failed Twilight. I think that we should all shoulder the burden with Time, instead of wasting our time here squabbling like a bunch of cuccos." He shot Warriors a look, who only rolled his eyes in response. "Since Twi is serving as a stable keep, why not ask Princess Hilda if we can take on some of the servant duties around the castle? It's... Not like we would be doing much else while waiting for their punishment to be served." 

Some of the others nodded in agreement, while Legend and Warriors stood their ground in a grudge match with Time and Twi. Though neither of them spoke, it was obvious they both disagreed. 

Time sighed warily, lifting both hands to push his bangs from his face. He looked tired, heavy, dark circles ringing his eyes. "I don't think that's necessary, boys... I appreciate the sentiment, but--" Sky gently held up a hand, shaking his head. 

"Time... We're not doing this to help. This is our punishment. It's our choice to make, just as you made the choice to serve jail time." He gave the elder a weak smile, patting him lightly on the shoulder.

Gratefulness bloomed from within the Ordonian because the others were on board with Sky's suggestions. He gave a nod and mouthed "Thank you." to both Sky and Four who gave a slight nod in return. He could feel Legend and Warriors glaring daggers at him. The situation had gone way beyond his control. Twilight hadn't seen the other side of a set of bars in so long, and just thinking of it brought back memories that rose to the surface like air bubbles breaking the water. 

"Listen," Legend spoke up. "We may work as a team, but none of us should have to take a hit for anyone. I wasn't involved in this so I-"

"Legend, please!" Hyrule interrupted. "We are one, we share the same spirit, soul, and everything else in between. It's only right that we work together in this." 

The veteran only rolled his eyes, there was no point in arguing. Sky had brought it up, so it's only natural that it gets taken care of. 

"Tch, fine." He shifted to the guard. "Is the princess coming by any time soon?" 

The guard barely had time to open his mouth for Hilda had stopped by. _ Well that answered his question _ . He knew she had something to say and so did Sky. Time gestured for his belongings and Sky stepped forward to give them.

Hilda addressed Midna at the door with a small bow, then entered the boy's chamber. She wrinkled her nose slightly upon crossing the threshold, folding her hands over her dress. "One of you, open a window, please. It smells like men in here..." 

"Well excuse me, princess..." War balked under his breath, stepping back to fold his arms over his chest. The closest to the window, Wild, tipped the lock upward to the windowsill and cracked the window ajar, crisp air flowing into the room. Hilda sighed in relief, then looked about the room. 

"My dear friends. I come here in accordance that you all know officially the business of the Council of Oracles. Please, there is no need for alarm. No one is being severely punished, and I did everything in my ability to prevent anything too serious from befalling your companions Twilight and Time." Her eyes met with Wind's, noticing the uncharacteristically calm demeanor in the child.  _ When Legend said their entourage was odd, he wasn't joking.. _ . "In this case, I gave them the minimum three week's sentence. Neither of them will be publicly flogged or executed, as per what the Council would normally propose on an offense to the royal family." 

Sky waited until Hilda was finished before bowing to the princess. "Your highness, if I may? We have a proposition. As you well know, we are a team. We all strive for the same purpose, together, as one. We all failed Twilight last night, and we wish to take on the punishment as well..." 

Hilda blinked in surprise, her lips parting before she responded. "I... I've never heard of so many propositions for arranged punishment... I will have to hold another meeting with the Council on this matter, and return to you all later. For now... If any of you have final words for the prisoners, they will be escorted to their dutiful holding positions to serve their punishment. By law they are to wear shackles about one ankle, and shackles to their wrists."

Noting that their briefing had come to a close, Hilda bowed to the company and turned back to the hallway. "That is all. Thank you for your attention. I'll be seeking council once more with the matter you spoke of." With that, she walked out of the room. 

The guards escorting Time motioned for him to follow, Time obeying as he clutched his spare tunics and bed roll tightly.

Twilight took one last look at the others, casting a glance at Wild before following Time and the guards. He gave one look at Midna.

**Stay with them, don't follow** . 

He knew Midna wouldn't obey, she was a devious little Twili with plenty of tricks up her sleeve. The clanking of armor and footsteps was the only sound Twilight heard as he kept his gaze downcast, occasionally glancing at Time. Part of him was expecting the old man to talk to him about earlier. 

He could only think of what he had to say to him. The typical lectures lasted so long and he could feel the tension rising every second, just waiting until it's about to blow over like Death Mountain erupting


	5. A Labor of Love

It was minutes later when they arrived down in the dungeons, the scent unpleasant as it drenched Twilight's sense of smell. He nearly gagged, and the sight of it did not help. The walls were dingy with mold, and the floors were crawling with cockroaches and spiders while the cells lined along the walls were filled with a couple of inmates who were possibly awaiting trial by the princess and the Oracles. They whistled and shouted for the guards, making comments at Time and Twilight but both remained unfazed. 

They entered a second set of cells through another door, this one practically empty of inmates. Another guard was bringing in another man in shackles, whose unkempt hair covered his eyes, preventing the small group from seeing his face. A guard opened the cell door across the way and promptly it was locked when the inmate entered the cell. There was low laughter from him a second later. Time entered his own cell and when the door was shut and locked, the guard pocketed the key and turned to leave. 

"You have ten minutes." He gruffed. 

Twilight swallowed hard as he made eye contact with the old man. 

For a few moments, Time set his things on the straw mattress they had provided and had begun to pace the small interior of the cell, one arm folded over his chest while the other rested below his chin, his fingers tracing his lips in thought. Finally, he stopped his mantra and faced his Pup. His one eye glinted sternly in the light of the oil lamp just outside of the holding cell, the low light doing little to help with the ever-growing tension that crackled within the cramped space. 

"I want to say that I'm disappointed in you... That you were foolish. Rash. Impulsive. However..." Time ran trembling fingers through his blonde bangs, heaving a great sigh. "I know how much she means to you. Midna... I know it, Pup. There isn't a shred of doubt in me that you love her, and you would do anything for her. But... Please listen to me when I say this.  _ Link _ . I never want you to go alone, not like that. Not ever again. You could have easily gotten yourself killed, or  _ worse _ ." Time pursed his lips, his voice calm and even as he spoke, but there was a certain sadness, a heaviness in his words that weighted every syllable.

"You're a Hero, Pup, not a court jester. I trained you better than that, and you know better than that. All I... All I'm trying to say is... You mean a great deal to me. You  _ all  _ do. And I could never forgive myself if the way I had to see you home was in a coffin." He was looking deep into Twilight's eyes now, his good eye searching Twi's stormy hues. Without missing another beat, Time grabbed Twilight by the shoulders and wrapped him in a hug, his grip tightening as he held his Pup fiercely. "I trust you, Twilight... I have faith in you. Don't go giving this Ol' Fool a hard time, alright?" As he broke away, he gently rubbed the top of his head, smiling softly.

Twilight gave a soft nod with a smile as he tried to suppress the tears that threatened to bloom, clenching his teeth behind his lips. He knew Time was right in every word, in every sentence, his actions caused a rift and he was responsible to fix it. He opened his mouth to say something when the door to the dungeon creaked open, there in the doorway stood the guard from earlier. 

"Com'on!" He gruffed. "You are due at your post!" 

He swallowed wetting his dry throat. A strange sense of anxiety and fear ran through him. It was just stable work there was no need to be afraid. After giving one final and longing look to Time, who in return gave a reassuring nod could the ordonian finally move. He followed the guard through the tunnels and pathways of the dungeons. During the trip, his mind drifted to the others. 

The usual sleepy and quiet hero, Sky, stood up for once and delivered what was right. He was right that the others should be working as well, a team works as a team despite going separate ways in doing so. If anything they more than likely eagerly awaited for a response from the princess and the court.  _ The pins and needles were ever growing.  _

At the top of the stairs, another guard met the hero and was instructed to bring him to the stables. He couldn't wait to see Epona, his beautiful Clydesdale mare. She always brought such joy and happiness to him. The royal stables were a ways off the main grounds, a little to the southwest. There were various stallions and mares of different sizes, breeds, and stature, of which was Epona. She stood in the first stable, seemingly happy to see her master. 

As much as he wanted to go to her, the guard stopped him to latch a thick chain around his left ankle while another was attached to his right wrist. The sudden weight brought him back to his imprisonment. The way he was chained to the middle of the cell as he struggled to get out and away from that place.  _ Out. He wanted out. _

The moment the cuff was secured Twilight's breathing began to quicken with each breath. He used his free hand to try to pry the cuff away as the metal scraped and scratched against the scarred skin. It wouldn't budge. No matter how many times he tried to lodge his fingers underneath it proved to be fruitless. 

"Get it off!" He pleaded. "For Hylia's sake get it off!" 

But the guard wouldn't budge. Twilight thought of attacking him to try and find the key and free himself from another possible imprisonment.  _ But this isn't like last time _ , He reminded himself. You are not here against your will. Sure it was the thought that counted but his wrist felt heavier than before and each time the chain links clinked together it reminded him of the shackle that still remained. 

His wolf form brought great sorrow to him because that shackle was never taken off  _ properly _ , meaning he was never truly freed. In his Hylian form, the weight of it could still be felt and there were often times he heard the chain links clinking together.  _ You're losing it! Nah! There's no way! _ It was always the same brushed off answers whenever he asked if anyone else heard a clinking sound. 

Twilight hesitated to look down, not wanting to look at the horror of seeing another on top of an already existent shackle.

The guard spit at Twilight's feet in response to his request, trudging over to his post, where he heaved a pitchfork at the Ordonian. "Get to work,  _ mutt _ ." The guard barked, grinning as he took his seat against the back wall. "All stalls should be mucked by noon." The sun beat down over the barnyard, and the smell of livestock and waste mingled with the fresh hay that sat in the troughs. Cuccos balked in their pens, while swine lay, cooling themselves in pools of muck. 

As Twilight struggled with the chains, a small, sheepish boy poked his head out from one of the stable stalls. 

"Psst!" He hissed at Twi, his two front teeth missing as he grinned up at the Ordonian. "Hey, Mister! Those aren't gunna come off you know.... Not like that, at least! Lots'a folks like you try and try, but it doesn't do ya any good." The kid stood in nothing but a tattered pair of overalls, his chest bare beneath the fabric. His hair was a mousey brown, curly and disheveled with bits of straw poking out of it every which-way. 

"My name's Prett! Dad says it's not good to talk to prisoners but..." he giggled, shaking his head. "You don't seem like a bad guy, mister!" 

~~~~

"Final proclamations for group punishment have been approved," Herbol smiled warily at the Princess, producing at last the official document, signed by each member upon her request. A sigh of relief escaped Hilda. Maybe now they would finally be able to relax and work through things. 

"Thank you, Herbol... I know it was not easy to get everyone on board for this. Especially with the severity of the crime--" 

Herbol held up a hand gently, bowing his head. "Allow me, your Majesty. The crime against the royal family was indeed rather severe, however, it was the intent behind the crime that most intrigued me. There was no ill will, no negative intentions. The fellow genuinely was following the essence of the mirror. You yourself have heard its calls in the night."

Hilda nodded somberly, chewing her lower lip. She had heard the strange whispers in the halls for many nights now, beckoning forth some unknown presence to her. Until now, she had no idea how strong it had been, nor that those calls were meant for Twilight. Still... Upon law, it had to be dealt with. The rules were rules. She was just lucky she could convince the Council to let the Ordonian get off with little more than an earful and some hard labor. 

"Indeed... It seems the Mirror is more powerful than my father had previously stated. We should watch it closely. Keep guards posted at the sight of the incident at all hours. We need to secure that room... Make sure no one but the patrol squadron go in and out of that chamber." 

With that, she straightened her dress, then made her way to her private study where Midna had been instructed to stay for the time being.

  
  


~~~~

"Cleaning the library," Legend griped. "Of all fucking chores for Hilda to give us." 

Hilda had stopped by to confirm that Sky's request had been fulfilled and the remaining boys were put to work. Hilda assigned Wild and Warriors to chop firewood, Sky was currently in the armory polishing weapons, Hyrule and Wind were tasked to kitchen dish duty and Legend and Four were in the library.

They were dusting the rows and rows of shelves that were lined with century old books. A majority aged well, but some of them held a thick musty odor that made Legend gag. Each held a thick layer of dust upon the spines and bindings, so thick that some of the titles were hardly readable. Just how long has this library gone without a proper cleaning? 

_ "It could be worse," Red shrugged. "We could be down in the kitchen with dish duty."  _

_ "Oh shut up." Blue's turn. "Dish duty doesn't amount to this!" _

"Stop it," Four whispered. "It could be worse, Legend." He spoke louder. "We could be in Hyrule and Wind position, or Time and Twilight's for that matter." 

Legend rolled his eyes and went back to dusting. There were millions of books in this goddess forsaken place. Both have barely scratched the surface. He ran a rag along the spine of one particularly thick book. The dark red cover held a simple lock of a leather strip bound by a small metal lock, and strangely enough the key was tied to it by a single piece of twine. 

He didn't think anything of it at first until he caught a glimpse of the title. 

_ Est autem necromantia.  _

His heart lurched in his chest slightly. Was... was this for real? Was a book like this really existing in Hilda's library? Legend unlocked the latched then opened the book, skimming through it page by page until a certain page caught his eye, said page was filled with various scribbles and charts and a language that he didn't understand. The book of Murdora would instantly solve that. The title of the page piqued his interest.

_ Resurrectio mortuorum. _

He froze slightly as the text underneath it read: 

**Resurrection of the Dead.**

But this was dark magic and he hasn't messed with dark magic since he went to the dark world. But this... this was a different scenario as his mind drifted to a girl with fiery orange hair and the sweetest smile that ever graced the earth.

Would he risk stealing from royalty just to make this work? But he wanted her back, he would do anything to get her back. And this was his chance. 

Legend glanced back at Four and found that he was gone and more than likely out of earshot. So, with careful proceedings, he pocketed the book and went about his merry way.  _ The five finger discount did wonders.  _

~~~~

"Is that so kid?" Twilight raised a brow, skeptical of this random Lorulian kid suddenly appearing out of thin air. 

He glanced at the guard and found that he had fallen asleep. Typical. 

"What do you want, kid?" He added. "Are you here to help me? Or are you just going to stand there and watch me suffer?" 

Prett held up what appeared to be a key. Twilight's eyes widened in interest. He couldn't care less about the shackle on his ankle, he just wanted the one on his wrist off. Prett gave a toothy smile, one front tooth missing. Twilight didn't have time for games he had his stable duties to attend to. 

He turned to start on Epona first, however, a sudden wave of dizziness washed over him like a waterfall. The world around him spun and swirled as Twilight braced himself against the stable gate, his head beginning to pound. This was nothing like the switch waves of dizziness, this came at him full force. Several deep breaths were taken, each one deeper and longer than the last. He had no choice but to wait this out as the seconds ticked by ever so slowly, as if time slowed down. 

Twilight felt Epona nudge him, her cold snout pressing into the side of his neck. He mumbled a response but too out of it for it to be fully comprehendible. 

_ What the hell was this? _

~~~~

After being secured by his ankle to a chain link that lay grounded to the floor, Time had resorted to passing his free time with some light reading. Thankfully, the guards had supplied him with some of his favorite books from his satchel. As he turned to the next page, a sudden onslaught of chuckles shook him from his concentration. The laughter grew, haunting and spine-chilling, reverberating off of the cell walls. Slightly unnerved, Time set the book down and stood, his eye squinting in the dim lantern lighting. 

He found the source of laughter coming from the inmate that had been brought in not too long after him. The man was staring hungrily at Time, one, single red eye flashing against the lamp light. The man had since stopped laughing, but continued to stare at the older hero, unwavering. Finally, he extended his arms through the cell bars and cocked his head. "Oh, my! By Loria, I don't think I have seen anyone finer than yourself. You and I... Oh, we are alike! We could be twins!"

Time balked at the man's words, shaking his head. "And what makes you think that, stranger?"

"Ah, see here!" He lifted up a long lock of hair that had been covering one side of his face, revealing underneath an empty eye socket, the eyelid completely torn away. "Hehe! Yes! We share a fate! A deep connection brought by the gods! You and I... We are brothers!" 

Time shook his head, rolling his good eye. "Oh, give it a rest. And be quiet while you're at it... I'm trying to read."

"Oh, but it doesn't end there!" the criminal chortled, his long, yellow fingernails clawing at the cell bars. "Y'see... I know the face of a killer when I see one."

The Hero of Time froze, then, not looking at the other man from across the way. 

"We're both killers... The blood that stains our hands, no... The blood that drenches us from head to toe! It sings within us! It yearns to break free! You! You're A MURDERER!" The madman spat, frantically pounding on his cell door.

"A MURDERER! YOU'RE A MURDERER!" He yelled, his whole body spasming with rage. Time could only shake his head, backing away to the far side of his cell. His chain tripped him up, sending him crashing to the cold stone beneath. 

"Hey!" A guard finally intervened, whacking the man's cell bars with his javelin. "Shut the hell up!"

The lunatic shied away into the deeper shadows of his cell, still hissing a mantra of "murderer" while rocking back and forth. 

Time sat for a few more moments on the ground before pulling himself up. His mind was reeling now, flashbacks of his fight with Ganon, with Majora, nearly every beast he had fought.... Most terrifying of all were his possessions with the Fierce Deity mask. His hands trembled, and as he stared at them he couldn't help but wonder... 

_ Maybe that man wasn't far off from the truth... _

\----

Once Hilda had entered the room, Midna immediately leapt to her feet, her eyes zeroing in on the Lorulean Princess. 

"Take me to him.  _ Now _ ." She demanded, her ruby eyes glittering menacingly in the light that filtered in through the stained glass windows.

It took Twilight a moment to rebalance himself, the dizzy spell slowly wearing off. The reorientation was easy as he found the middle ground instantly, this was like the typical headache after a switch as it wore off within minutes. Slowly, he straightened and took several deep breaths again as the mare nudged against him. 

"I'm okay, girl," He muttered. "I promise." 

When Twilight turned to find the kid still standing there. He knew he wasn't going to go away any time soon, might as well play along. 

"Alright," He agreed, with a coy grin as he knelt down to Prett's level. "We'll make this quick. What would I have to do to get that key?" He gestured to the shackle on his wrist. "Having this on isn't the best idea for me."

For a moment, Prett only looked at Twilight skeptically, squinting slightly. "You alright, mister? You don't look so good..." At Twilight's next words, however, the boy grinned sheepishly, then held up the key. "There's no trick! You don't have to do anything! Just... Don't tell my pa. He's uh... He's got a bad temper!" Prett looked about the barn with an owlish expression, as if scoping out the area for potential threats. "... Those cuffs scar, mister. I'd hate to see you chafe your wrists like that... You seem nice." 

Hesitantly, Prett stepped forward, carefully grabbing the Ordonian by his arm while he unlocked each cuff with a small  _ click _ . The chains clambered to the floor, causing the duo to freeze momentarily. The guard posted in the corner briefly paused in his mantra of snoring, shifting as he mumbled irritably, then continued snoozing as if there weren't a care in the world.  _ Good thing those guys were pretty dense... _

\-----

Meanwhile, in the palace, Princess Midna had already been filled in on specifically where Twi was being kept. Hilda had questioned Midna's change in appearance, but the Twili refused to speak of the matter. All she wanted was to be near Twilight. She promised never to leave him again, and she was determined to keep it that way. 

Taking the spiraling staircase out to the vibrant courtyard, the Twili turned Hylian followed the dirt trail that led toward the forested fields and yawning acres of the royal livestock. These animals resembled those in the world above, yet they held funny characteristics that separated them. It was fascinating to see how very different Lorule was from Hyrule, after Midna had been told that it was a parallel world to the realm she had grown to love. 

In a few moments, she had reached the stable grounds, her gate almost at a full sprint now. The guard that was posted to watch her was having trouble keeping up, having to take wider strides to follow Midna.

Midna opened the barn doors, allowing herself entry. The guard posted to watch over Twilight awoke with a start, standing at full attention. The Twili rolled her eyes with disgust, scoffing at the guard. "Save it. Go back to being a lazy pig."

The guard on duty looked genuinely stunned at first, his surprise quickly shifting to anger. "Wh-Who the hell are you?! Why I oughta--!" 

"Hold it!" The second guard who was to be watching over Midna came into the doorway, panting and wheezing. Midna smirked back at the officer, clearly amused. "She--She's a princess! I've been ordered to--  _ wheeze  _ Ordered to follow her! She may see the prisoner if she wishes to!" 

Twilight's guard looked Midna over skeptically, but could only nod, taking his place back down on the wooden stool. Without the large brute blocking her path, Midna slunk into the dimly lit barn, spying the Ordonian on the far side of the stalls. A small smile crept onto her face, and it took everything for her not to run and tackle him. "Say... I didn't think Lorule had inhabitants with such beautiful golden locks. They all usually have that... Raven complex." She leaned casually over the stall that Epona was in, gently patting the mare fondly. "Good to see you again, girl..."   
  
The young lad, Prett, made a face of disgust at Midna’s flirtatious intrusion, taking the opportunity to scale into the barn loft out of sight. 

The horse whinnied in response. Twilight turned as he rubbed his wrist, jumping slightly upon Midna standing there suddenly. 

"Well," He countered. "I wasn't expecting this place to have people with looks as vibrant as a sunset." 

He gave a smirk as he grabbed the nearest shovel and began mucking out the hay from below. He loved the animals, but cleaning the stalls was the one thing he hated the most. Time more than likely had something to do with this, but in more ways than one was he grateful for the old man taking the sentence. Twilight knew nothing could make it up to that. No amount of taking shifts, cooking for Wild -even babysitting him, as well as helping around Lon Lon Ranch could ever make it up. 

_ But what's done is done _ , He reminded himself.  _ There is no changing that _ . Internally he sighed. It was three weeks in a cell. Nothing could go wrong could it? Twilight turned back to Midna, who was staring at him with this look in her eyes, and he could tell that it was one of longing. However, there was a part of him with rising agitation because he told her to stay put. 

"I thought I told you to stay inside," He asked, slight anger lacing his voice. "I didn't want you to follow."

Midna's coy expression fell, her eyebrows drawn harshly over her eyes in deep shadows. Oh, there was  _ no  _ way she was letting him get away with such a tone! Not after everything they had been through. Not after all he had done. It took every ounce of patience in her not to backhand him then and there. 

Instead, she marched over to the stall entrance he was mucking and kicked the gate through, sidestepping to where he was busying himself, not caring he practically had several pounds of horse dung leveled on his shovel. Grabbing a fistful of his shirt, she yanked him back roughly by the collar and drug him out of the stall, then half out of the barn and out of earshot of the guards. The shackles around Twilight's ankles were pulled taught, and it was proof enough he was uncomfortable by the way he shifted his weight. 

"Listen here,  _ wolf _ . I would follow you no matter what lengths it took, because I am not losing you again. How dare you say that. I don't blame you if you harbor negativity toward me for my actions, but you have no right to be angry with me. Not after what happened." She roughly grabbed his chin, and though she now stood shorter than him, she brought him to eye level with her. "And this." She emphasized the deep, dark scar marks that etched his skin, her eyes boring holes into his. "You've been using the crystal too much. I knew letting you keep it was a bad idea but... DAMMIT! Link, I can't leave you for three years and you're tearing yourself apart! You know the Twili magic is bad for you! Hylians can't harbor it well! It will consume you! Don't you understand that? I entrusted it to you to protect your village, only in times of great emergency. But to see you abusing it like this..."

Midna's voice wavered ever slightly, and she had to turn away from him. "You're self-destructing. It's only a matter of time now... If you keep using it like you do now, you won't be able to control it. You'll start shifting without being able to stop it. Your wolf form will cross into your Hylian, and the side effects could be consequential... I should just strip you of it, but..." 

She faced him again, her eyes brimmed with tears, fear lacing her features. "I know you too well... You're stubborn. I can't keep you from making your own decisions... I guess that's what makes me a fool." She swallowed, the tears spilling down like rivulets. "I'm in love with you, Link. I have been for all of these years... I can't lose you again. Not after I just got you back..."

"When you said, 'See you later,'", Twilight began. "I didn't think it would take this long." 

He took a breath swallowing down the lump that formed in his throat. He was stunned at Midna's sudden confession, but the words were music to his ears and stung just as hard. The more he gazed at Twili before him, the more the memories from long ago surfaced. He often wondered if that was what she was going to say the day she left. He could hear the Mirror Of Twilight shattering again and again like an echo as the tiny miniscule pieces dissipated into thin air. Only the base had remained, like an empty shell. 

"Listen here,  _ Princess _ ," He took a step forward, producing the crystal from beneath his tunic and held it up. "The crystal has brought more good than harm. I know my limits and if you think for a solid second that I'm abusing its power then you're dead wrong." His face contorted into a glare. 

He chose his next words carefully, not wanting to upset Midna any more. He would have himself castrated if he  _ ever  _ raised his voice at her. 

"You don't understand the pain, the heartache, and the yearning I've gone through for  _ years _ ." His voice softened slightly, and his eyes glossed over, the tears now threatening to break free as they brimmed, while he looked down and away. "I thought I would never see you again and here you are, standing there confessing everything. I've waited for so long to hear you say that." 

Twilight raised his gaze again, meeting those sunset like eyes of the Twili. 

"You shattered my heart the day you shattered the mirror," He softly said as the words quivered with every syllable. "And that is something I can't forgive just yet."

For a few beats, the Princess stood there in silence, the tears rolling down her cheeks softly. Here she had borne her heart on her sleeve before him... And he had no answer for her. Or, really... It was an answer she had hoped she wouldn't hear.  _ What a joke _ ... The gods must be laughing at her. 

"You're not the only one with a broken heart..." her voice was barely above a whisper now, and she managed to look back into his eyes, her gaze cutting. "Dare I say anymore... I fear it'll fall on deaf ears. If you wish to be alone again... So be it. I should have never come out here to begin with." Her eyes slid away from him, her lower lip wobbling. "I would say I was sorry for my actions, but to say that would be selfish. I had my people's best interest in mind, and even I screwed that up. All so I could see you again... And how funny to think it wouldn't amount to anything." Anger seeped back into her being, and she roughly shoved him back. "I should have never kept that mirror... I should have shattered it like the rest. And I should have never let you keep that crystal..." 

The Twili princess shoved past him back toward the barn, picking up her skirts as she walked back toward the guards. Maybe she had been right... Maybe he didn't feel the same way she did after all. All this... Her selfishness... It had all been for nothing. And it had cost her the throne and her very home...  _ Goddesses, she was a fool.  _

"We're done here," she barked at her guard bitterly, storming through the front door without waiting for him to follow. The familiar ache had returned to her heart, this time weighing heavier than ever before... As she marched back to the palace, she felt numb and pained and cold, all at the same time. What had cracked at the seams of her heart now lay in tattered shambles at her feet.

_ She should have never returned to the world she had come to love. _


	6. A False Persecution

As the hours passed, Twilight could only think of Midna. They ended things on such a sour note that he could taste it. One by one the stalls were taken care of, and he was thankful that after all those years of working for Fado on his ranch helped. He nearly gagged at some of the rancid smells, but suppressed it down knowing that he'd smelled  _ far  _ worse. 

The guard had come by and released Twilight from the ankle shackle, the said joint was sore and he could see the scar beginning to form as a ring of red bloomed around. He was taken back inside just as dinner had been served. But in all honesty, he did not feel like dining. He was sore in more places than one, slightly red from the sun, and the heat almost got to him. However, he had no choice as the guard was instructed to bring Twilight to the dining room. 

The others were there and... Midna. She sat next to Warriors as he smiled and borderline flirted with her. She was laughing as he told the corniest jokes, ignoring the two new guests. She was avoiding his gaze all together. He could tell. 

There was a seat next to Wild as he slumped in, leaning against an arm. Legend was snickering from across the table because he's never seen him this way. 

"My my, is the strong ranch hand tired?" He snickered with a shit-eating grin. "Who knew a little labor could tire you out?" 

Twilight flipped the veteran the finger with a look that said, "Piss off, joey." 

Legend returned the finger tenfold. 

"Doing that in front of a lady," Wild sneered. "Such manners!" 

"Shut it, cub!" Twilight shot a glare at the champion. 

Twilight casted a glance at Midna who simply side-eyed him and went back to talk to the captain. _ Sly son of a bitch. _

Sky, however, glanced between his comrade and the princess noticing a strange almost tough aura. _ A quarrel perhaps? _ He would like to ask about it later.

As dinner was served, Twilight's mind drifted to Time and how he was doing. He was more than likely restricted to no visitors.  _ Maybe the others visited him _ . He picked at his food, finding himself not as hungry as he thought he was.

"I know what you're thinking, Twilight," Warriors inquired. "And yes, during our breaks we visited the old man." 

"How is he?" Twilight wanted to know everything.

"He's fine." Legend stated as he took a bite. "As far as we know. But the one in the cell across from him was  _ yeesh _ !" 

"Though we all know it," Wild added. "On the outside he was being stoick and not showing how we truly feel." 

"We're all guilty of it," Twilight said as he eyed the champion. "That's obvious enough as it is." 

"Although,"  _ Fuck _ . Twilight knew that tone of voice from Warriors. "Time  _ did  _ tell us more of the details from last night. Don't give me that look Twi!" The glare was not pretty. "We asked. What we were told earlier today wasn't enough. The old man told us how  _ this _ ," He motioned to Midna. "Pretty little number came into the world." 

Twilight froze for a moment, anger slowly creeping in. 

"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" He snapped. 

"Nothing!" The captain threw his hands up. "It baffles me how a doll such as her could know someone-" 

He was interrupted when Twilight shot to his feet, the chair scraping against the floor with a hard  _ screech _ . He glared at his comrade, his eyes flashing an odd shade of gold. 

"If you  _ ever  _ talk about Midna like that again I will personally rip out your-”

A clearing of the throat notified the eight heroes that Hilda had arrived. Twilight gave a sigh as he ran a hand through his hair and excused himself, calmly walking out of the dining hall and back to the room he shared with Legend.

\-------------

The oil lamp lighting the prison cells had long since been extinguished. Time stared into the cold darkness, his mind spinning around the events that had transpired. He knew he had made the right call... Taking his Pup's place. There was no way he would allow him to take on this burden. Sighing, he turned over on the uncomfortable straw mattress, pulling the layers of woolen blankets over himself. The cool steel of his handcuffs scraped against his bare skin, chilling him to the bone. They chafed his ankles, causing him discomfort. 

As he finally allowed his eyes to fall shut, the man in the cell across from his began murmuring, chortling to himself. It was rather annoying, though the veteran hero tried to ignore it, knowing that the man responded to negative reactions. 

What really startled him was the sudden sound of the crazed man banging his hands against the metal bars, his chains clinking together. "YOU! I know you! You're not from here! I've seen things, heard things! Oh, yes! The great one, the pig-headed god from hell. He's whispered to me... Yes, you! You're his blood enemy. You're tied to him! SHACKLED BY FATE!" 

The man began rattling his bars, screaming at the top of his lungs like a caged animal. "CURSE YOU! CURSE YOU CURSE YOU CURSE YOU! You shall atone for the sins you have anguished upon my Master!" A group of guards came from around the corner, wielding spears and bright torches. Time had to squint to see what was happening, his good eye having a hard time to adjust to the sudden light. 

"Shut the hell up, old man!" The guard whacked the cell door with his spear, baring his teeth. "Tomorrow, you're going to be flogged. Hear that?" The guard spit at the man, earning a few chuckles from the other guards. "Then you're gunna hang! We know what you did. You killed your wife and your kids! Said you were sparing them from some demon's wrath. Well... The only demon I see here is  _ you _ ."

With a few more insults, the guards returned back to their patrol post, leaving Time alone in the dark with the crazed man once more. The deafening silence that followed only brought with it the sudden weight that had formed in Time's gut.  _ Demon lord _ ... There was no coincidence in the man's words. Only one bore that name... 

_ Ganon. _

\-------------

After dinner was finished, Midna stood, stepping over the bench. Ignoring Warriors implications of wanting to spend "more time" with her, she brushed past him, not even responding to his, "Hey, wait!"

She wanted to be alone, after all. Midna had spent half of the day, locked away in Hilda's study, mulling over her conversation with Twilight. All it was now was an embarrassment. Why had she spoken her heart...? _ It had seemed as though it were a good time... _

Biting the edge of her lip, she shook her head and continued onward. Her guard was supposed to be with her, however, he had gotten drunk on his wine at dinner and was currently passed out in the corner of the dining hall. The Twili wasn't about to rouse him, either.  _ Screw this escort punishment... _

The chilly evening air met her as she waltzed into the courtyard garden. Stone archways encrusted with ebony and opal shimmered in the moon's glow. Roses of black and red silk blushed over the castle grounds, evening dew perspiring over the earth in glittering crystals. 

Midna drank in the sweet smells, allowing her eyes to shut. Despite it all... Despite how angry she was. How hurt... How upset with everything Twilight had said.... Despite it all, she still longed to be in his arms. Holding him close while staring up at the night sky. 

_ Just as she used to do back on their quest together... _

\-------------

Sky had taken an interest in the events at dinner, curious that his comrade had suddenly, yet calmly stormed off all because of something the captain said. Then again he felt the tension between Twilight and the Twili Princess. Which again, he found strange because she suddenly appeared overnight. She wasn't with them when they arrived in Lorule. Yet when Time told them everything, he still struggled to piece everything together. 

He slipped out of the dining hall unnoticed after the dishes had been cleared, not caring about desert.  _ Although that dark chocolate cake sounded heavenly _ . He made sure to keep his distance from Midna, not wanting to scare her in the slightest. He knew she was possibly on edge right now, and scaring her would only add more to the problem. 

Sky peeked around the corner to find her staring up at the moon, a waxing gibbous, bright and luminous; there would be a full moon soon. In a way, he could see why Twilight was so smitten with her. She was beautiful as the strange markings on her skin glowed with the moonlight. 

When he took a step forward, a crack of a stick alerted her and she whipped around, wide-eyed and frightened.  _ Great _ . Sky instinctively put his hands out showing that he was unarmed and had no intention of harm. But the Twili did not stand down. 

"Easy," He cooed. "I'm only here to talk." 

He watched her eyes shift up and down his form, more than likely skeptical of the sudden intruder. 

"I sensed the traction between you and Twilight earlier." He softly added. "Twilight is a brother to me, and I would do anything in my power to help fix this. I know he loves you very much." 

His mind drifted to his Zelda, a slight blush creeping onto his cheeks. 

"I've got someone of my own, very near and dear to me. I've seen the way he looks at you." 

He motioned to the bench near two rose bushes. "Shall we sit and talk?"

Midna stood, hesitating to follow Sky to the bench, but eventually gave in, nodding solemnly. He didn't seem to be a threat in any way... Besides, the kindness in his voice reminded her of Twilight and his genuine nature to want to help. Hero's Spirit thing, maybe...

Taking a seat next to the Hero of Sky, she shifted uncomfortably, keeping her eyes on the moon. "You are right about one thing.... I am upset with... Erm, Twilight. " It was weird to call Link by the name of the realm she lived in. Perhaps the name he had chosen for himself... Ironic. 

"Earlier today we got into a fight. I... Well, let's just say there were things that we both said that maybe we shouldn't have. Now, I'm not sure where I stand with him..." She cast her gaze downward, that heavy feeling in her chest threatening to weigh her down again. _ She wouldn't cry in front of a complete stranger.... _ "Maybe it's better I should have never come here. After all, there is a war happening in my land by now. Or a massacre.... And it's all my fault. I was selfish, and my heart always chose  _ him _ . But look where it got me..." Midna laughed bitterly, gathering her knees to her chest, not caring about proper decency in Sky's presence. 

"To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm telling you all of this. Maybe it's because you remind me so much of him, or maybe it's because you know him better than I do. At this point, the more I observe him, the more I realize how much he's changed since we've been apart. I don't even recognize him anymore..."

Sky listened as the princess rambled on, as she poured her feelings and emotions out. 

"Well," He laced his fingers together as he kept his eyes on her. "During the fight, maybe said things were in the heat of the moment. Twilight isn't quick to lose his temper, it takes a lot. Believe me and the rest of us, we've seen the good and the bad sides of him." 

He gave a sigh, contemplating his next words carefully. He was trying to make the situation better. 

"We all met at peculiar times," Sky added. "Something strange brought us all together, so I don't know what Twilight was like before," He motioned in the air of the environment around them. "All this happened. I'm sure he's changed a little but the one that you  _ know _ , he's still there. A little bit of time has to be given, he told us, albeit a bit vaguely, that someone shattered his heart and he seemed pretty devastated by it. Your name has slipped once or twice and we all quickly pieced together that it was you." 

Sky cast a sideward glance at the Twili, and found that she was now looking at him. 

"I'm sure he's grateful, even ecstatic that you're back in his life. We all could tell that he's missed you dearly." 

He gave a moment for the princess to think over what was said. Part of him had this sinking feeling that she wouldn't take the words to heart and completely steer them in the wrong direction. 

"How about I talk to him?" He cocked his head with a smile. "Maybe get his side of the story."

The princess chewed her lip in contemplation, playing with the frayed edges of her skirt. It wouldn't hurt for Sky to talk to him... She knew that. But she also didn't want Sky telling him about all she had said, either. 

"What was discussed between us stays that way..." She said, her eyes glittering with a certain intensity as she stared into Sky's eyes. "I cannot stop you from speaking to him, but I don't wish for him to know everything about this... After all, I'm not even sure that he--" She stopped herself, then, unable to say the words. What had transpired today only further confirmed to her that it meant nothing to him... So it wouldn't even matter, anyway. "Never mind. Thank you, Sky... I'd like to be alone, now." 

Midna got up from the stone bench, rubbing her arms in the quickly chilling evening air. Creatures of the night began to stir past the stone walls of the garden, guards stationed at various points to keep the perimeter safe. She almost snorted to herself, noticing one of the guards half-asleep on duty. 

Giving one last glance to the Skyloftian, she disappeared behind a pillar of granite and slipped away into the shadows.

With a sigh, Sky rose to his feet and headed back inside the castle. He wouldn't utter a word of what was spoken to Midna, that was a silent promise. He would keep it with him until his dying breath, not even telling a single soul -including Twilight. He just prayed that he could get Twilight's side of the story. 

~~~~

_ "Goddess-damned son of a bitch," _

Twilight slammed the door shut so hard it shook the walls slightly. The nerve of the captain to call Midna such terms and the flir-

"Stop it!" He shouted at himself. 

That wasn't it. She was simply talking with him over something that's all it was.  _ No need to get so riled up. _ He needed to calm down, this massive day was a shit show from the start and the events at dinner only added onto it. So, he went to the bathroom and wrenched on the tub, the water roaring as the porcelain filled. 

When he stepped into the hot water, the tension in his muscles almost washed away instantly, the soreness almost non-existent, and the stress from earlier in the day vanished. He wanted to drift off right then and there, the warmth of the water washing over him like a blanket. There was a splash as he dunked under the feeling of being underwater had brought him back to the time he dove underneath Lake Hylia to complete the Lakebed Temple and get the third Fused Shadows. 

_ What a time he wished he could go back to. Everything was somewhat normal then.  _

But Hyrule at that time was the farthest thing from normal.  _ Fucking Zant. _ A sudden knock at the door from the bedroom brought him back to reality. He broke the surface with a gasp, sweeping the stray locks back. He didn't want any visitors right now, but it seems that he had no choice in the matter. _ It could be Hilda for all he knew _ . However, for her to suddenly visit out of the blue seemed so out of character for her.

As the water drained, Twilight stepped out from the bath with a warm robe wrapped around him. Then he opened the bedroom door, finding Sky standing there. To say he was shocked was an understatement, the poor hero was almost beet red at the sight of his comrade's appearance. 

"Listen," Twilight elaborated. "Everything is covered, no need to get so worked up." 

He stepped past the chosen hero, motioning for him to follow. The duo entered the shared common room between the nine -wait- eight heroes. Twilight took a seat at the window, which overlooked the gardens and the horizon down below. 

"Why are you here?" He asked, slightly squinting at the hero in question. "It's not like you to visit like this out of the blue." 

"I noticed the trouble between you and your girl at dinner," Sky casually mentioned as he took the chair opposite Twilight. 

_ So that's what they're calling Midna now? His girl?  _

"Please, we had an argument earlier," Twi rolled his eyes. "Nothing that we can't settle on our own." 

Sky gave a sigh as he folded his hands on the table. "It's not that. We all know that you're under some stress but it all stems down to the fact that everything that happened wasn't your fault. I don't know the full context of the argument and what exactly caused it, whether it be bad or good. Believe me when I say that Midna? She misses you in a way that's hard to describe." 

"And what the hell does she mean by that?" Twilight raised a brow in confusion. "Does she even know the amount of turmoil I went through for years?! The fact that I thought of every possible way to get her back? You of all people wouldn't understand my situation,  _ Sky _ ." The amount of bitterness and anger within that name left a sour taste in his mouth. "I didn't ask for such a lecture or pep talk. If anything, this little quarrel between Midna and I is none of your fucking business." 

Twilight's eyes squinted into a look of anger as a growl bubbled and grew within his throat. And that look said it all. Sky rose from the chair and took a deep breath. 

"Yes, Twilight," He began, eyes boring into his comrade's. "She does. And so do I. I know the exact situation you've gone through because my Zelda entrapped herself in a crystal for thousands of years to stop Demise from coming. I know loss and pain and sadness. I couldn't tell you the amount of ways that I tried to get her out of that crystal. Don't you  _ ever  _ tell me what I know and don't know again, because I -we- have all gone through it." 

With another breath he walked to the door, and with a hand on the knob he craned his head to give one more say. 

"Talk to her or wallow in self pity over what was done." 

With that, he left and the door closed with a soft click.

\-----------

Sneaking back into the chamber that housed the broken mirror of Twilight was easier than she first thought it would be. Slipping in and out of the shadows, Midna found herself in the presence of the mirror once more. She was nothing but a wisp of shadows, invisible to the naked eye, though if one were to gaze long enough, her silhouette might become clearer. There were a total of five guards in the basement, two posted at the door to the mirror, the other three patrolling the basement level. 

Thankfully, there were no guards within the chamber itself, allowing the princess of Twili to unveil herself. She was back in her true form once more, no longer in the guise of her Hylian spell. Stepping closer to the glass, she extended her hand to it, brushing lightly over its surface. Twili magic pulsed weakly for a beat, then vanished.  _ It truly had been broken... _

But maybe if... If she could somehow replenish her magic, she could repair it and return to her world once more. 

_ What about Link, though...? _ her aching heart whispered to her, pulling her back from the mirror.  _ He would think you abandoned him again... _

_ And so what...? _ Her mind responded bitterly.  _ He has no love for you. Not in the same way you do.  _

Silver tears slipped down her cheeks again, this time surprising even Midna. This wasn't how she wanted things to be... She had hoped she might be able to start a life here. Maybe Link would reciprocate her affections for him.  _ The Council of Twilight was right... I am a selfish fool. _

In a fit of heartbroken rage, she clenched her fists, glaring at the mirror. A pulse of magic radiated from her body for a split second, the fracture in the mirror spider-webbing across the glass. More pieces of the mirror clattered to the floor, alerting the guards outside. That was her cue to leave...

Veiling herself once more in shadow, she slipped back out right as the guards entered, yelling for assistance.

Making her way back through the twists and turns of Lorule Castle, Midna found herself in Hilda's quarters again. The princess was kind enough to allow her to stay here despite that it was Hilda's private chambers. She had insisted Midna take them, as she would allow herself to another private part of the castle where royal guests would stay. 

Midna sat down at the edge of Hilda's bed, running her hands through her long tangles of fiery orange hair.  _ Stupid... So stupid... _ Quietly, she began to separate her hair into different sections for braiding. 

"They say women are the complicated ones..." she growled, yanking the pieces back and forth rhythmically. "Tch, nooo they have it all backwards. The  _ men  _ are the ones that are truly the more dramatic species. Especially  _ Hylian  _ men." She spat each syllable bitterly as if it were poison to her tongue.

_ Talk to her or wallow in self pity over what has been done. _

Twilight recalled Sky's words, deep down knowing just how right he was. Some hero he was, the Triforce mark laid upon his right hand but he didn't have the courage to talk to her.  _ Pathetic _ . He was now dried and dressed, sitting on the bed as he fingered the shadow crystal, running his thumb over the smooth surface. The orange markings that were encrusted within the black stone pulsated weakly, the power that lay within, lay dormant waiting for its owner to use it again. 

He knew how to use the crystal, using since the day it was extracted by the Master Sword. The nerve of the Twili to tell him he had been abusing it, yes the markings were now burnt upon his forehead but that was purely coincidence. _ If she didn't want me to have the crystal, _ He thought.  _ Then she should've just left it at the Master Sword's pedestal. _ That was the plan from the start but instead, Midna had to suggest that they take it with them. 

_ Screw this. _ Roughly he shoved the object back into his pack and shot up leaving the room in an unexpected hurry. Might as well bite the arrow right now and get it over with. He asked for the guard posted at the door to take him to Hilda  _ immediately _ . Sure, he had absolutely no room to be barking orders but this was important, and it had to be taken care of right away. 

And so, the guard reluctantly complied as he led the prisoner to Hilda's chambers through a series of halls and stairways. In truth, he knew exactly where it was because he passed by there yesterday with Legend, but now he wasn't to go anywhere without the pompous bastard in front of him.  _ Great _ . Twilight then realized that he was never told where Midna was staying, he never found out if she had her own room or not.

By the time they reached the princess's chambers, Twilight could feel his heart nearly pounding out of his chest, ears ringing as a strange sense of anxiety came over him. With a deep breath, he raised two knuckles and-

_ Tap, tap, tap.  _

Then he waited, palms becoming slightly sweaty as he waited for the door to open. His mind was suddenly blank, realizing that he had absolutely no fucking clue what he was going to say to Hilda. Or if she was even there at all. 

_ Creeaaak _ . 

The door opened and standing there was-

**_Midna?!_ **

Shit. Shit shit shit. Twilight swallowed down the lump that suddenly formed in his throat. She didn't look too happy to see him, and honestly, he couldn't blame her.

"Please," He begged. "Don't close the door. I-”

Before Twilight had even finished his sentence she slammed the door in his face, baring her teeth as she stared daggers through the door. It took her a few seconds to compose herself again, her heart thudding in her burning chest.  _ What the hell was he doing here...? _

Curiosity got the better of her, and slowly, she pried the door back open a few inches. Luckily, Link was still standing there, his face pale. He looked like a kicked puppy, his eyes unable to meet hers fully as he fiddled with the edge of his nightshirt. His hair was all wet and matted, clinging to his forehead and the back of his neck. She glanced past him briefly to see his escort guard, to which she shot a look. The guard stiffened, backing off down the hall a little ways. 

Hesitantly, with a small sigh, she pushed the door open wider to allow Link entrance. She didn't wait for him to enter as she took her place back on Hilda's bed, unable to look at him any longer. 

"By the way you looked so surprised, I'm guessing I wasn't the person you were looking to talk to..." Midna stated, tracing a thumb over her own palm. "Needless to say... Why are you here?" 

Goddesses she dreaded knowing what he had to say. To be honest, she didn't want to be around him at the moment. How funny... To think she could yearn for him for three years and yet dislike being in his presence the moment she got him back...

"I-" A breath.  _ Choose your words carefully. _ "I'm not here to start another argument. I only want to patch up what was broken earlier." 

Carefully he approached the Twili, leaning against the bedpost with his arms crossed, keeping eyes downcast. 

"I know you're hurt," He added, tone quiet. "And you have every right to be. What I said back at the stables was not what you were expecting. You were expecting me to reciprocate and I-" 

_ Almost did _ . But the words remained unspoken. He moved to kneel in front of her and took a hand into his, giving a gentle squeeze. 

"Midna, my love," He wanted her to look at him. He wanted to see those gorgeous sunset eyes again.  _ Swallow your pride _ . "I'm so sorry, for everything I said, for everything I did. Please, I need you back." 

He paused for a moment to rebalance himself. "I've waited for so long to hear you say those three little words." A stroke along her knuckles. "I hoped you would say them that day three years ago, but you never did and I..." A sigh, a deep one. "I lost all hope." 

The Twili did not move but he could feel her shaking. He knew this was too soon. A confession remained on his lips, just at the tip of his tongue. 

"Midna, please," He cupped her cheek, stroking a thumb under her eye. "I-" 

**_Just say it!_ **

"I've been madly in love with you since the adventure," There. All of his cards were on the table. "I never stopped loving you, not even after you left." 

Without thinking he rose to his feet and pulled the princess flushed against him, colliding his lips with hers.

To say she was shocked would be an understatement. Her mind was reeling with unspoken emotions. At first, she felt utterly confused, hardly able to process his words back to her.  _ He was... Madly in love with her? _ The confusion died to an overwhelming joy, her heart fluttering in her chest, unrestricted by the weight that sat on her breast. He loved her. 

In her joy, she found acceptance. At long last, here before her, the man she had longed years to be with had not only fought to right his wrongs with her, he was confessing just as she had done at the stables. 

_ But the kiss... _

When his lips found hers, all else melted away. The desire to be held, to be  _ his  _ and for him to be  _ hers  _ replaced all else as he tenderly cupped her cheek. Without wasting another second, she wrapped her arms about his shoulders, tangling her hands in his hair.  _ Goddesses, she never wanted to let him go now...Never let this moment end. _

Breathlessly, she parted lips with him for a second, only to find her own crashing back over him. Midna feathered lingering kisses over his lips, all before pulling back to look up into his eyes. His beautiful, blue eyes that never failed to draw her in. 

"To say I never regretted shattering that mirror on that fated day would be a lie..." She said, her breath shuddering as she traced one of his Twili scars with her thumb. "You have been the constant thought on my mind since that day, Link... Words cannot express how sorry I am... I guess... I assumed you had been in love with  _ her _ . With Zelda... I... I didn't want to hurt you, or her. But... But I did." 

Allowing her eyes to fall shut, she pressed her forehead to his, trying to keep the tears from falling once again. "To be able to say 'I love you' to you was my lasting regret in the Twili realm. So I--" She was silenced with another kiss from Link, her heart skipping a beat as she reciprocated once again. 

Somehow, his lips tasted even sweeter on the second kiss...

"It was never Zelda," He whispered as he gazed into Midna's eyes. "It was you, and only you."

He beckoned her to follow as he pulled her to the bed, then laying down upon the soft and plush sheets. Twilight grabbed her hand and placed it over the spot where his heart lay beating beneath. 

"This will only beat for you," He spoke softly, taking the time to push a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "There will  _ never  _ be another, understand?"

He pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead and pulled her close. This woman has brought so much light into his life, and she's only been here for one day. 


	7. Whiplash

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please please please read the tags before heading into this chapter. This goes into some gorey detail. 
> 
> You have been warned.

No matter how many times Legend sneezed, it still couldn't shake the dust that was still trapped within his lungs.  _ Goddess-damned dusty ass library _ . If he could just stop sneezing for five fucking seconds! Once dinner was over, Legend had to finish what was left of the library. Four had finished quicker than he did, which was odd because there was no way in hell that he finished up the job that fast.  _ Cheater _ . 

Warriors had met up with the veteran just outside the library, and the two had taken to make the tiring trudge back to their rooms. Both were grateful that they were in the same area. Once the two were in the common room, Legend chose to head to the bedroom hoping to find that Twilight was relaxing there for the night. 

_ Only he wasn't.  _

"You sly dog," He murmured with a smirk. He then turned to the captain, pointing into the empty room with his thumb. "I bet you fifty rupees Twilight is with that princess right now,  _ going at it _ ." 

"I doubt it." The captain waved him off. "He's too modest of a guy to actually do that." 

"Not behind closed doors! You saw the tension between them at dinner, Twilight got so defensive." 

"That doesn't mean anything," Warriors crossed his arms. "But I'll bite. If he's not, then you owe me fifty." 

The two then shook on it.

"Come morning we'll find out the truth."

Morning came quicker than Midna had liked, accompanied with the soft, heavy breaths of the one who lay beneath her.  _ Link _ ... Lazily, she turned so she was facing him fully, brushing strands of his honey-gold hair from his forehead. _ By Din... He was so handsome... _ Memories of last night played on repeat in her mind, a sudden blush surfacing on her cheeks as a smile stretched across her face.  _ This time, it wasn't a dream. This was real.  _

Teasingly, she kissed the corner of his lips, murmuring softly over his skin, "Good morning, my love..." 

\-------------

The sound of the prison keep door slamming open, jarring Time from a deep sleep. Instantly he shot up into a sitting position, his cufflinks cutting into his bare skin. 

"Mornin' sunshine,'' The warden grinned. This man was different from the guard duty that had been on the job the day before. Time began to open his mouth in response, only to have the warden slam a meaty fist into his cell bars. "I want nothin' from ye, lowlife! I heard what ye did to your family," He spat at Time's feet, then grinned at him menacingly. "Today's your lucky day, though! You get to be the star of today's event." The warden began to chortle, waving to the other guards. "Open the cell door! The flogging starts at sunrise, and we promised em’ a good show, gents. Let's not be late!"

Before the guards could grab him, Time held up his hands calmly. "Wait a moment. I'm not the man you're looking for. I'm here serving time for a pupil of mine. If you look at your records, it says--" A guard roughly punched him in the gut, all air escaping the older hero as he staggered back. The chain links around his ankles tripped him up, nearly sending him to the floor. Time saw stars as he tried to regain his breath, gasping as he found stability once more against the prison bars. Through his harsh wheezing, the guards could be heard laughing, the occasional insult slewn his way. 

Before him, the warden grinned at him, maliciously. "Now... What was that again about 'having the wrong man?'" Time could only stare at him, still trying to blink the stars from his eyes. "That's what I thought..." The warden sneered, and before Time could protest, he was being roughly shoved out of his cell.

A hewn potato sack was thrown over his head, the draw strings taught over his throat so he couldn't shake it free. His shackles were tightened about his wrists, then linked to a chain, who was guided by one of the guards. Again, Time pleaded with the warden, his voice calm. "I'm warning you... You have the wrong man. The prisoner you want is in the cell block next to mine. I'm here on a special sentence for my protig--oof!" Another blow to his stomach had him keeling over, coughing uncontrollably. 

"They all say that..." he heard the warden sneer. "Lads, take him to the town square and have the torturer present. Last time he was bloody late and made us look like fools." 

A tug at his wrists prompted him forward, Time having no choice but to follow these sick buffoons. All the while, he silently prayed to the goddesses that someone would find out they had the wrong prisoner...

The sudden shift in movement caused him to stir, feeling the light peppering of kisses. He turned his head slightly as lips met with hers, broken seconds later. As much as he wanted to sleep in, he had to rise as there was no rest for the weary.

"Good morning, darling," His eyelids drifted shut as sleep beckoned him.

However, the moment of peace was interrupted by a knock on the door, a hand servant, more than likely telling the princess that breakfast was ready. So, Twilight rose from the bed much to Midna's protests. 

"I know, love," He patted her arm in reassurance. "But I have to go. Those stables aren't going to clean themselves." 

Twilight heard the soft patter of footsteps as he realized that Midna was quickly following. _ She never wants to leave your side _ , The little voice in his head reminded. 

The Ordonian peaked his head out the door, glancing up and down the hall, the guard from last night slouching as snores erupted from his throat.

_ Typical _ . 

"I'll meet you down there," He said. "I should change first." 

After that he pressed a kiss to Midna's cheek. 

Minutes later Twilight entered the dining hall in a fresh set of clothes, finding a few of the heroes sat at the table. Sky, Wind and Hyrule remained absent. Of course, they were either still sleeping or on their way. 

The Twili has saved a seat, patting the chair. Legend and Warriors had sat on the other side, and the snickering from them caught Twilight's attention. 

"Have a little  _ fun  _ last night?" Legend sneered. 

"Excuse me?" Twilight questioned in return as he raised a brow. "What in Farore's name is that supposed to mean?"

"Oh come onnnn, we know about you and her. Certainly there were some  _ sparks  _ igniting." 

Twilight quickly put two and two together a slight blush flowing to his cheeks. 

"You indecent little-" He stopped himself momentarily. " _ Nothing _ and I mean absolutely nothing of that happened last night." 

"I told you, Legend," Warriors offered his hand. "Now pony up the dough! A bet's a bet!" 

As Legend handed over the bag of rupees, Twilight could only gape at his two comrades. 

"You two placed a bet against me?" Without another word he reached across the table and snatched the bag. "Bastards, both of you." The rupees were held up, then pocketed. "This is mine now, and  **no** you are not getting it back." 

"So much for a bet," Warriors muttered, shifting his eyes away. "Now we're both out-" 

A sudden pain shot through his foot as Legend stomped  _ hard  _ on the appendage with one look: 

"Shut it!"

\------------

Time stumbled along after the guards, his mind reeling.  _ Someone had to know he was innocent!  _ Hilda must be watching this event transpire. Then again... A low-life like that criminal probably had nothing to do with royal affairs. He chewed his lip raw, trying to find a way out of this. Maybe he could break free...? And then what? He couldn't run, not with the shackles about his ankles. 

The cool morning air hit them as they led Time out of the dark dungeon, fragments of light poking through the fabric of the sack. Though his heart threatened to burst, he attempted his damnedest to keep a level head. Think, Link... Think. He had none of his magical items on him, no weapons, no faeries. All he had were the gods...  _ And what help they had been...  _ He despised anything to do with them anymore. 

And yet...

_ Oh, goddess Hylia... _ Time prayed, bowing his head ever so slightly.  _ Please... Hear your servant. Make it known of my innocence. Spare me, that I may remain in the lives of my comrades and that of my wife. _ No answer was given to him, even after waiting a few moments for some sort of holy sign or word. _ Typical... _

As he was led deeper into what he could only assume was Lorule's Castle Town, he could hear the nasty jeers of townsfolks from their windows, some lining the streets in droves. Some spit at him, tripping him up as he walked by. Others threw mud and small stones, calling him names. 

The guards suddenly halted him, Time forced to his knees as one of the guards began to fasten his hands to a rough-hewn post. 

"Ladies and gentlemen of Lorule! Those of you who have gathered today in the town’s square are hereby bearing witness to the severe punishment of an unpardonable crime. This man, the one you once called your neighbor, has committed malfeasance. He murdered his wife and children in cold blood. Gaze upon the face of this stone-cold killer!" 

Time had to blink hard, squinting in the light as the bag was removed from over his head.

A large group of citizens had gathered as spectators, shouts still resounding as they looked on at the scene before them. One of the guards unsheathed a knife, then tore open Time's tunic from behind, leaving his bare back exposed to the morning air. Time tried once more, pleading with any who would listen. "Please, listen to me... You have the wrong man! Ask Princess Hilda, ask the guards on duty from last night! Any of them would tell you that I am merely serving a sentence for my protégé. His name is--" 

_ THWACK!  _ _   
_ _   
_ He was painfully interrupted by a harsh kick to his side, sending him reeling into the post he was cuffed to. Pain bloomed over his rib cage, a wince falling past his lips. "Prisoners are not allowed to talk!" the guard barked, before he returned his attention to the crowd. "Witness today as this man receives 25 lashes to his back, with a whip laced with steel barbs and leather. Afterward, he will be hung at noon at the stockades." 

Whoops and hollers rang out from the crazed citizens, mothers crying for justice while men made hellish accusations and slew an assortment of colorful names. From the corner of his eye, Time noticed the one whom they labeled the "torture master" approaching. He was a hulking brute of a man, easily standing at eight or nine feet, meaty muscles and a pot belly juxtaposing his figure. He reminded Time of a pig, much to the likeness of Ganon.

_ How fitting.... _

In the middle of breakfast, Twilight felt a sudden oncoming of dread settle deep in his gut. He had quickly excused himself, well more like lying, to get an early start on the stables. 

"I can help with your work, Link," Midna suggested. "I'm more than-" 

"I can handle the chores myself," He stated. "I appreciate the offer though." 

"I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty,  _ wolf _ . Need I remind you who shattered the barrier around Hyrule Castle?"

Twilight gave a groan. There was no shaking her thoughts on the matter. She was not afraid to get her hands dirty, she helped save the kingdom of Hyrule, helping with the stables was nothing.

"Alright," He finally gave in. "They have goats here. So watch for their stingers!"

"Oh stop it with that!"

And so, Twilight gestured for her to follow as he gave a laugh. A guard has fallen in step behind the two as they stepped outside. 

Upon reaching the stables, another guard had the shackle ready and waiting much to Twilight's dismay. 

"No shackle!" He glared at the older man. 

"You are in no position to be barking orders,  _ boy _ ," His menacing tone sent slight shivers down the hero's spine. "Take it or it's the dungeons." 

He swallowed hard, muttering a quiet "Fine." 

His body was already ridiculed with scars, what was one more?

That's when he heard the sounds of cries and cheers, followed by the sickening  _ crack  _ of something against someone. There were slurs and swears and more cheering followed by a man's powerful voice as it boomed over the crowd. 

Twilight could only make out the bit of the sentence.  _ Hung at noon at the stockades.  _

_ Shit _ ! Just as the guard moved to place the shackle, Twilight bolted out of the stables and down the stone path following the cheers and they grew louder and louder. 

_ Hylia, please help me make it on time! _

Midna raced after Twilight, her heart pounding. Back in her Hylian form, it was much more difficult to keep up with him on shorter legs. "Link! Hey, where are you going?!" 

She looked back briefly to see two of the guards hot on their heels, yelling for Twilight to come back to the stables or his punishment would be tripled the amount he owed. All she could do was suffice a smirk. _ Not if she could help it... _

Whispering an incantation, she paused, waving her hand before the guards. A light blue glowing mist entangled the guards, turning their eyes a milky white. Hallucinations. It wasn't exactly the nicest spell she had, but it would be enough for her and Link to make their escape. She would be congratulating herself, though the moment she turned to follow, a wave of dizziness hit her.  _ Right...  _

She was still recovering from her magic depletion. 

Using two spells at once was foolish... She tried to follow, though she could only see double of everything now. Calling out to Twilight, she stumbled and fell, catching herself against a wall as she slid down its cool surface. "Go, Link! I won't be able to follow you!" Though she had no idea what was spurring his madness, she trusted him... "Stupid wolf..." She murmured to herself, a small smile surfacing on her face.

\-----------------

Pain was nothing new for Time. He'd been dealt so much of it all throughout his life. Physical, mental, you name it. In the past, he had taken a similar beating to this one, receiving three lashings from the Gerudo for invading their town meant only for women. However... His body was older now. Not to say he was fragile, no... But the shock of the whip was nothing like he had ever felt before. 

_ SNAP _

The first lash landed squarely over his back, from his right shoulder to his left hip. The steel barbs tore into his flesh, ripping out skin and tissue. Leather strips lapped up his blood, spraying it over the cobblestones below. The sound that clawed its way from Time's throat was somewhere between a sharp gasp and cry of agony, his body slumping forward against the post. 

_ THWA-SNAP _

This second whipping hit over the back of his neck and upper back, part of the barbs reaching over his shoulder around his collarbone, only to be ripped back again. A scream of pain fell from Time, red splotches encroaching his vision. Blood sang freely from the tear in his shoulder, flowing down over his undertunic, staining the manila fabric a deep crimson. 

_ CRACK SNAP CRACK _

Each lashing tore another pained cry from Time. The barbs continued to eat away at his flesh, sinew and muscle broken open under each fresh wound. Blood drenched him from behind, the ground around him lapping thirstily at the sanguine fluid.

_ THER-CRACK THWAP SNAP _

By now, Time was having a hard time focusing, leaning heavily against the wooden post for support. He could barely feel any of the lashings anymore, his back was so raw with agony. His eyes kept rolling up in his head, his fight to keep himself awake quickly turning into a loss. 

_ THWA-CRACK  _

"...Time!" 

The elder hero raised his one good eye, straining to look into the crowd. Blood-mist stung his eyes.  _ Goddesses... It was hard to focus... _

"Time!" He heard his name again, right as the whip landed another blow to his back. He groaned in anguish, salty tears flowing from both eyes. They mingled with the ichor that was starting to dry on his cheeks, flowing into his gaping jaw so he tasted iron. 

_ Was that his Cub...?  _

"Twi..." he answered, though his voice was drowned out in the crowd.

All Twilight could see through the muddled tears was red and gold, his feet pounding against the cobblestones harder and harder with each footfall. The audible sounds of the whip cracking against flesh rang through the air and that only made him run faster and harder. 

Time's weakened and bloody form came into view over the hill and Twilight could clearly see the lashings of torn skin, blood dripping down like rain droplets rolling down a window. Time was straining to breathe, his chest rising up and down in a fast and steady pace. Wheezes and grunts had slipped past his lips and Twilight could tell that he was nearly knocking on death’s door.

After he sharply turned, Twilight leapt onto the stage as he grabbed the nearest sword from the guard and shoved himself in between Time and the Torture Master, one hand hovering over his mentor while the other had the sword pointed at the Torture Master. 

"Lash him and you'll have to lash me too!"

He could hear the gasps and wheezes come from his mentor. They were so labored and shallow as sobs had slipped right past his lips. The sounds tore at Twilight’s heart as anger and rage flared like a match sparking to life. 

Confusion crossed the Torture Master's face as he glared down at the insect that stood in his wake, suddenly grinning in response. "You want some too, little man? Be my guest!" He lifted his arm back, preparing to lash both men, but before he could fully commit to the action, a ram's horn sounded in the square. The crowd's cries deafened out, all attention now on the trumpeter. 

_ None other than Hilda stood before the throng, her eyes a deadly ruby. _

"Stop this nonsense! I order you to stand down! All of you!" She yelled. She had her magic staff in one hand, a sword at her hip, and an army of her best royal guards surrounding her. "Release him.  _ Now _ ."

"Your Majesty! Th-this man has committed treason! He murdered his family, claiming he worships the Demon Lord--" Hilda lifted her staff, sending the end crashing to the ground with an echoing  _ crash _ . The square grew deafly quiet, Hilda's eyes near murderous intent. 

"You fools. All of you! This man had committed no crime whatsoever! He is serving a sentence in prison for his pupil! I should have you all hung for this!" 

Stepping forward, her steely eyes landed on Twilight, softening as she nodded to him. "Sheath your weapon... There is no need for more bloodshed today. Guards! Help me release this man! He needs a medic immediately!"

The blade was thrown off to the side as it landed with a  _ thunk _ . Twilight whipped around to help his mentor, moving to untie his bind while the surrounding guards moved to do the rest. The Ordonian could only sit back as they took over, gently lifting Time to carry him back into the castle. 

Twilight heard his name slip from his mentor's lips in a slight gasp as he casted one longing look as if in a gratitude of thanks. The hero followed closely behind them, his eyes glued to the state of Time's back. He felt sick to his stomach and outraged as anger, rage, and fury bubbled deep down.  _ Don't _ . The little voice in his head told him.  _ It'll only cause more to the problem _ . 

With a deep breath, he spotted Midna as they passed through the gates casting one simple look of pain and hurt as he grabbed her by the arm and told her to follow. 

So she did. 

But a single thought remained on his mind. The others. Oh Hylia once the others find out they'll be just as outraged and livid. Twilight knew he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret, word would spread faster than-

"Twilight!" 

_ Shit! Warriors!  _

"What the hell happened?!" He cried. 

"Just gather the others!" Twilight skill pleaded. "Please, and bring them to the infirmary!" 

  
The captain had watched as the group disappeared into the castle, the doors closing with a muted  _ thud _ . 


	8. Fractured Family

The infirmary came into view within seconds, and two guards stopped the hero and the princess from entering any further as Time disappeared behind the double doors. Twilight couldn’t do anything, he couldn’t move, couldn’t think, or let alone process what happened to his mentor. So when the guard stopped him, he wanted to push through and help heal the wounds. But he saw the amount of torn and bloody flesh and tissue that hung. 

He felt sick to his stomach. Part of him knew that he wouldn’t be able to stand the sight. It was horrible and gruesome, and he also knew that he wouldn’t be able to stomach anything. His hands clenched into fists, nails digging so deep into his palms. 

_ Those bastards will pay. _

Midna felt Twilight's form trembling with rage next to her. Silently, she took his hand, lacing her fingers with his, giving his hand a firm but gentle squeeze. "Link..." She whispered softly, leaning against his frame. "Beloved...Come and sit with me. You need to calm yourself and your mind." She led Twilight to a small stone-carved bench that sat in the hallway, having him sit next to her. 

"I know you're upset. Everyone is... what happened to Time is inexcusable. But he wouldn't want you to spend your anger and hatred. Remember why he took your sentence. He loves you, Link, like a son." She rubbed circles over his hand, lifting it gently to her lips. She still felt the tension in his muscles, the tightness in his breathing as he continued staring holes into the infirmary doorway.  _ So much for getting him to calm down.. _ . Midna knew Twilight wouldn't rest until he saw Time again, more than likely the same scenario for the others once they arrived. 

She took his arm in hers, pressing her head against his shoulder. "He's strong... Just as you are. You both share the same spirit. He will pull through this, I know he will..." 

\-----------------

"....grab the disinfectant! I need fresh cloths...."

"....needs more stitches...."

"....too much necrotic tissue!"

Time faded in and out of consciousness, his good eye slipping open every once in a while. Everything seemed as though it were moving in slow motion, voices echoing in a cadence that resembled an underwater cavern. From what he could piece together, he was getting some sort of help. Deliriously, he let out a breathy chuckle.  _ Maybe Hylia had heard him this time after all... _

"Hang in there, Time," A gentle voice echoed to him from the void, the face of a woman hovering into view before him. Time scrunched his brow. "Malon...?" he asked weakly,attempting to lift his hand toward whom he thought to be his wife, only to find he couldn't move. 

"Don't strain yourself, honey," the woman said tenderly.

A cool washcloth was applied to his forehead, Time shuddering in response to the relief that flooded him. The familiar chimes of a fairy fell on his ears, the elder hero stirring in response. "Lay still..." The woman encouraged, placing a firm hand over his shoulder. Time groaned in response, then attempted to move again, too disoriented to follow instructions. 

"Malon..." He repeated again, attempting to sit up. 

Before he could attempt to get his arms level beneath him, he felt a sharp pinch in his left arm. 

"Wha...?" He said, blinking his one good eye rapidly. The room began to spin, the ceiling and floor becoming a vortex to another dimension. 

"That's it... Relax, darling. You'll be just fine..." 

Time barely made out what the nurse had said, the powerful drug taking effect, pulling him under into a deep blackness.

~~~~

"Did he say why?" Four asked. 

"No." Warriors glanced back as the remainder of the heroes made their way down to the infirmary. "But-" He swallowed hard. "It had to do with Time and... it's not good."

The Links cast glances of worry and concern at each other. The captain prayed that he would run into Hilda hoping for any answers to the countless questions that bubbled and brewed. All he saw was a flash of red and Twilight as he disappeared into the castle. All the Links had abandoned their duties for one of their own. 

By the time they reached the infirmary, they found Twilight pacing back and forth, the Twili was calling to him to sit down trying to reassure him. But it was obvious that he wasn't going to listen. 

"Twilight," Warriors called. Twilight stopped and whipped his head at the captain. "What the hell happened?"

"Time he... he was whipped, ten strikes to the back." 

"What?!" The same answer came from the others. 

"He was supposed to remain unharmed!" Wild protested. "How is he?" 

Twilight shook his head. "We don't know, and we don't know when we'll be able to see him. The medics are working on him right now." 

"There had to have been a mix-up." Legend questioned as he crossed his arms, a thoughtful look on his face. "It wasn't Hilda, it was those fucking guards that did this." 

The Ordonian had to take a seat, Midna rubbing small circles into his back. He closed his eyes taking several deep breaths to suppress the tears. "I saw him." He whispered. "His back was bloody and torn, skin hanging off in pieces." He shuddered at the very thought. 

It was Wild that stepped forward choosing to kneel in front of his own mentor. "He'll be okay. I -we- all know this. Twilight, please. We've all seen the good and the bad of each other. And this is no exception." 

Midna had told him that earlier and hearing it from Wild too made that small sense of hope rise to the surface.

The hours ticked by painfully slow, morning transpiring into the afternoon, and finally evening. Dinner was brought to the heroes that sat in anticipation outside of the medical bay, though none of them touched the food that was offered. Wind had fallen asleep, his head slumped against Four's lap. Four was quietly sketching in his journal, while Sky was leaned up against the wall, he himself trying his best not to follow Wind. Warriors had resorted to angrily pacing for the fifteenth time. Legend and Hyrule sat in the corner, making small talk with each other quietly. Wild was leaning against Twilight on the floor, carving what looked like a flute. And beside Twilight, Midna remained, gently stroking his hair. 

The door to the infirmary yawned open slowly with a creak, and a nurse with dark skin and amber hair tied up neatly in a bun stepped out. She smiled warmly at the boys, nodding to them. "He's finally awake, if you all would like to see him. Be careful, though. We could only do so much with the binding on his back, and the faeries we used healed most of his injuries, though they may reopen if you're not gentle."

She stepped back, allowing the heroes entrance. Inside, Time was propped up against a stark white pillow. He had purple rings around his eyes, his skin pale. A cool cloth had been placed on his forehead, his cheeks flushed with a mild fever. He had lightly dozed off again, his breaths falling deep and even. Sweat drenched his frame from head to toe.

When the heroes neared his side, however, he cracked an eye open weakly and smiled at them gently. "... You all look terrible...." He murmured, his voice dry and raw from screaming.

Twilight was the first by his side as Wild followed. He took the chair hovering near the water basin, in case it was needed. 

"Us?" Legend questioned. "Have you seen yourself recent- ow!" 

Sky tugged on a lock of the veteran's hair as he gave a disapproving look. Time had beckoned for the others to come forward slightly, and so they did as Wind crawled up onto the bed, with Four standing close to the sailor. Warriors had stayed near Twilight while Midna chose to slink her way to stand behind her hero. 

A glass of water had been poured for the old man and it was pressed into his hands, the cool of it most likely feeling wonderful. 

"Time, this was never meant to happen." Twilight started, his focus only remained his mentor right now. "I should've taken the sentence and none of this would've ever taken place." 

The anger that bubbled before had slowly melted into guilt. He's never seen his mentor in such a sickly state before, the pale complexion, unlike anything he's ever seen.  _ Hylia only knows what his back looks like now. _

"I'm so sorry," He added. "For all of this!"

Time had already begun to shake his head as soon as Twilight began to apologize. "No, Pup... None of that..." He managed to down a few sips of water before accidentally inhaling some, a coughing fit ensuing. The nurse helped Time sit up properly to regain his breath, the elder hero crying out as he was moved forward. 

Blood seeped through his bandages, the thin strips of medical cloth wound around his whole frame. On the back of his neck and shoulder, more bandages swathed the torn and mangled tissue, now partially healed thanks to the assuaging magic of the faeries. Once Time managed to recover, he gave each of them a small, sheepish grin, having to clear his throat before speaking. "Excuse me..." His good eye found Twilight, a knowing look lacing his features. "We will discuss this alone, Pup... For now..." He spread his arms and welcomed Wind into a light hug, noticing the boy had been hovering in the corner with a misty look. In Time's embrace, Wind began to cry quietly, heaving into the elder hero's chest. 

Sky joined in giving Time a hug, then Wild, and soon Time was surrounded by the heroes, a smile surfacing on his features. "I'm alright... I'll be okay, boys..." he murmured, leaning against Twilight the most as he spoke. "Takes a lot more than that to kill me." He chuckled, a low rumble from his chest as he smiled at the posse. "Please... None of you should go pointing fingers or blaming anyone. I knew from the start it was a mistake, but the warden wouldn't listen to me. It was... An unfortunate turn of circumstances..." He winced, then, knowing it was a rather lame attempt to try and waver what had happened.

Legend was the first to break away as he stepped back, admiring the heartwarming scene from afar. 

"I'm gonna go see Hilda about this," He murmured. "If I know her, she'll see to it that it's thoroughly taken care of." 

Without another word he left. Sky had deemed it time to go as well, ushering the rest of them to follow. "It's been a day for all of us. We should all be getting rest." 

"Sky is right," Warriors added. "For now, let's give Twilight and Time a moment alone." 

Despite the protests from the sailor Warriors gave that knowing look. They all complied as they gave one last longing look to Time.  _ There is still tomorrow. _ It went unsaid because they each knew that. When the doors closed with a soft click did Twilight shift his gaze to Time. Midna had chosen to take a seat on the edge of the bed keeping her hero's hand within her grasp, caressing his knuckles in a reassuring manner. Part of Twilight was grateful that she did not leave. His newfound sense of solace and comfort resided with her.

"I know I shouldn't be apologizing," Twilight said. "We've all got this nasty habit of harboring guilt when it was never our fault. But when it comes to you," 

The moment he looked at Time, an image of a skeletal figure dressed in tattered and ivy-covered armor flashed before him. He withheld a gasp pressing his lips in a tight line to seal it away. 

"I feel like I've got an image to uphold as if it's some type of family honor."

Time studied Twilight carefully, his expression tired and careworn. He pursed his lips thoughtfully before he chose to speak again, reaching a hand out to tug his pup closer. "Listen to me, Link... There are some things we have no control over. For instance, this wasn't my first time being whipped. I... Well, that's a story for another day. My point is, Pup... I'd do this for any of you. All of you. You've all become family to me, and there isn't a single second where I wouldn't do it all over again for any of you. If it were you in my stead... I don't think I could ever forgive myself." He gave Twilight a soft smile, then tugged him into a warm embrace. 

"Don't beat yourself up. There was nothing you could have done. What's done is done, now there's only moving forward." He paused for a moment, looking off to the side. "You know, in a way, you're like a son to me. I... I can't explain it, but... There's this need in me to protect you at all costs. I can't just ignore that, Pup. You understand...?" 

Gently, Time released Twilight, then gave Midna a soft smile. "Through all of this mess, I wasn't properly acquainted with you, Midna. My apologies." He dipped his head. "My name is Link, but of course there are nine of us in our party, so I go by Time. I know you've already heard me called that and we already know a little about each other, but I thought I should properly introduce myself."

Midna nodded solemnly, giving Time a small smile. "My name is Midna. It is a pleasure to meet you, Time." The two exchanged looks with Twilight, the room falling silent then. Only Time's somewhat labored breathing could still be heard.

"This was the girl I've often talked about," Twilight grasped Midna's hand, running his thumb over her knuckles. "As you can tell she's very special to me." 

He understood what Time had said. And if anything, Twilight would do anything for his mentor as well. He knew that the Hero's Shade and Time were one and the same, the similarities between the two were too uncanny. The single dead eye, the same facial structure, and that voice brought a sense of warmth and clarity. He put the pieces together the moment he found out that he and Time were blood-related. And then the horrid reality that Time would die with regrets slowly crept in.

"We should follow the others," Twilight swallowed, wetting his dry throat. "And get to bed." He rose to his feet, tugging Midna along. 

They had said their goodnights, exchanging a smile before parting ways. He begged for Time to try and get some sleep because Farore knows that he needed it. 

It was Midna that guided her hero back to the bedroom, his footsteps heavy with each footfall. He was so tired physically and mentally, spent of every bit of energy. When they reached the bedroom, Twilight only had to kick off his boots as he collapsed onto the mattress, feeling the bed dip seconds later as the Twili climbed under the covers. 

"Come here, love," She gently cooed. 

He scooched over a tad falling into the embrace of the Twili, nestling his face right into the crook of her neck. He felt her fingers carding through his hair the sensation calming him down. Twilight wrapped his arms around her midsection wanting to keep her close as much as possible. He didn't want to be left alone right now so much happened within a span of hours. 

_ He just prayed that Hilda would thoroughly take care of it.  _


	9. Discernment

_ By Din where the hell was she?!  _

Legend had searched for Hilda for the last hour, finding her in none of the obvious places she would typically be. One princess and one massive castle don't mix.  _ This would take all freaking night _ .

He found himself stopping at the dining hall, choosing to take a seat as he pulled that book out. He never properly got a chance to look over it, only the title of the book and the page he landed on piqued his interest. Maybe this could be his chance to--

He skimmed through the pages, looking over the countless spells and magic that it contained. Some spells were more advanced than others but none that he couldn't master.  _ The countless rings on the subject had proven otherwise. _ It was when he landed on the resurrection spell did he really read it from top to bottom, reading over every careful little detail, examining the diagrams. It was so complex and it seemed it would take awhile to master, however, a part within him wanted to use this. 

A sudden  _ creeeaaaakkk  _ of the dining hall doors had startled the hero. In a rush of panic, Legend slammed the book closed and hid it trying his best to act as natural as possible. The silhouette of Hilda had caught his attention and relief flooded him as he gave a small smile. 

"Ah, about time." He mentioned. "I was looking all over for you. I wanted to discuss one thing with you." Legend paused for a moment as Hilda stepped further into the light. "That mix up from earlier needs to be dealt with. Make them bastards pay for what they did to Time."

"You speak as if something hasn't already been done," Hilda stated, her eyes flitting in the dim light of the candles. "They were all executed this evening. Quietly, of course, but the situation was resolved nonetheless..." She breathed out a shaky sigh, then sat across from Legend, putting her head into her hands. "This is all a mess... I'm trying to convince the council now to disregard all punishments that we dealt to all of you. What happened today never should have happened... I feel as though it is all my fault." 

Pausing a moment, she allowed her hands to fall from her face, pursing her lips. "You should get some rest, Link-" The clattering of an object crashing to the floor and a slew of various Lorulian curses could be heard just outside the door, promptly interrupting the conversation. Hilda rolled her eyes, then faced the door. "You can come in, Ravio. Snooping isn't the best look for you, you know." 

The double doors to the dining hall slowly creaked open, the sheepish face of the bunny-hooded merchant feebly entering the room. He gave a small, awkward wave to Hilda and Link, then tripped and fell into the table in front of him. Hilda pinched the bridge of her nose, a frustrated sigh leaving her. "Ravio, dearest... We really should get you robes that go above your ankles. Or, you could wear a tunic like Links."

"I think not, no," Ravio winced, sitting up. "That would only aggravate him more, I think." He rubbed his forehead, a red bump already forming where he had smacked a table leg. "Besides, then I'd look more like an adventurer and less like a merchan-- I mean... Queen's advisor and treasurer." He stated the title with a small grin, then took his place next to Link.

"I was wondering when I would see your scamming face," Legend snickered. "About time you joined the party." 

Ravio had given a look of frustration and feigned hurt. Legend gave a roll of his eyes then turned his attention to the princess. He could see the guilt that had overcome her, the way she seemed to be so upset about it. If anything he was impressed that she outright executed the guards instead of giving them the time to wallow in what they had done. 

"None of this was your fault, Hilda," Gently he took her hands into his and gave small squeezes. "Those guards were power hungry bastards that-" He stopped himself. "I wouldn't worry about it any longer, what's done is done." 

_ Water under the bridge as they would say.  _

"Tomorrow is a new day," He added with a smile. "Make those pompous gossip mongers listen to you for once, be firm with yourself and your decisions. This is after all, your kingdom not theirs." 

With that he bidded both Ravio and Hilda a goodnight, leaving the dining hall. 

After stepping into the hall, his mind drifted back to the book. He would take every chance he would get to study that spell.  _ It could come in handy one of these days, for now, it was like an antique waiting to be used.  _

Once he made it back to his room, once again he found that Twilight was not there.  _ Typical _ . With that girl no less. Although, a strange sense of happiness overcame him, whether it be for himself or Twilight he never knew. 

Legend changed into something comfier then headed to bed, eyeing his adventure pack that contained the book before he drifted off into a sleep filled with dreams of the ocean and a girl with a voice as gorgeous as a siren.

\-------------

Back in the mess hall, the Links all sat in silence amongst one another. Legend had found sleep back in his private quarters. Four was dozing off as he leaned into Sky. Wind's eyes were growing heavy, no doubt exhausted after he had spent a good amount of the day being worried for Time's wellbeing. Warriors had found a dart board and was currently chucking knives into the painted wood, mumbling to himself angrily. Hyrule sat staring out the window with his knees drawn to his chest. 

Wild had disappeared a while ago, saying something about "scaling the castle roof to be alone." 

Though no one had spoken for almost two hours, the tension in the air could be felt.  _ Time wasn't there. _ Their comrade, their leader, and for many of them, a father figure they had never had before. 

A knife clattered to the floor, jarring nearly everyone in the room from their stupor. "Farore!" Warriors cursed loudly, his knuckles turning white as he practically seethed. In response, Sky stood, waking Four and causing Wind's eyes to snap open. 

"War... That's enough," Sky said softly, reaching to pick up the fallen weapon. Before he could, Warriors had swiped it up, an intense look burning in his eyes. 

"Let me be, Sky," he said through grit teeth, throwing the knife to land his eighth bullseye that night. "I can't just sit back and pretend like everything's fine! Time is hurt because of mistakes that  _ we  _ made... We could have prevented this. You're right, as a team we should have been leery. We should have been vigilant in keeping after our nightly rituals." 

Walking up to the wooden plank, Warriors ripped out one knife after the other, the sound of peeling wood resounding throughout the small corridor. 

"You're wrong about one thing." This time, it was Hyrule who piped up, his attention turned to face Warriors.

Standing to face War, Hyrule had his arms folded over his chest. "We may be a team. Teammates look after one another... But we aren't Twilight. Sure, we can keep up our nightly routine of watches, but that doesn't mean Twilight wouldn't have found a way to sneak around that. I mean... C'mon. We're all Link here. We all have the able body skill to even outwit each other, because we  _ know  _ ourselves so well." Hyrule sighed, pushing his tangle of curls from his face. "I know I'm not the best at saying this... But what I mean to say is, you can't go moping around with your burning hatred. We all have gotten this far on teamwork. The only way we're going to help Time is if we stick together and just... Be here for each other. Maybe that's why Twilight felt like he couldn't trust us... Maybe it's because we aren't all being transparent enough with each other."

Silence flooded the room once more, gazes shifting back to the marbled floor, the ceiling, anywhere but where Hyrule stood. "Yes... Perhaps we are all responsible to some degree. But you have to remember you aren't Twilight, and his actions are not your own. I think trust has a bigger factor in all of this..." 

Sky gave a nod in Hyrule's direction, chewing his own lip in contemplation on how to even respond. Where to even begin… 

Warriors shook his head and chucked the knife so hard it embedded deep into the wood of the dart board. Somehow, that one throw felt so good as the wood had cracked and splintered further, nearly breaking the damn thing in two and it brought a strange sense of satisfaction to the captain. 

"Trust," Warriors repeated with a frown and a scoff. A breath. "That doesn't excuse the fact that we had a routine. A  _ nightly  _ routine that we broke. One goddess-damned night led to our best tracker and best leader being sentenced. And-" 

"That's enough," Sky calmly interrupted as he raised a hand, wanting to prevent another fight. "Remember how each of us met?" His gaze flickered between the remaining six. 

His mind drifted to the moment he met Time, interrogated with questions as to how he had the Master Sword on his back. 

"We all didn't trust each other at first," He added. "We are one in the same in more ways than one. But look at us now, us as a group are fighting alongside each other because we work together as a team. That is the biggest form of trust I've seen to date." 

Each hero casted a glance between each other, giving soft smiles and nods in response. Sky was right. All of them were on edge the moment they met, as their fight or flight responses kicked in. Meeting themselves. A whole new meaning to the phrase: Have you met me? 

"What happened, has happened," Sky said, settling his eyes on Warriors. "It's water under the bridge, so let's not dwell on it any longer okay? Time is still with us, alive, he'll pull through this." 

Sky was right. Time held the hero’s spirit. They all did. And the spirit was strong, incapable of breaking. 

~~~~

Twilight lay awake as he gazed upon Midna's sleeping face. He slept but only for a few hours. Something woke him and he wasn't sure if it was just paranoia, maybe guilt, or perhaps he wasn't tired. He caressed her cheek, a moan slipping past her lips as the Twili shifted slightly. 

By Farore he struck gold with her. This beautiful creature before him was unlike anyone else, and the fact that  _ she  _ of all people went on his quest with him. 

Softly, Twilight pressed a kiss to her forehead whispering, "I love you," in her ear. Another moan from Midna. Her content showed no bounds. She was comfortable and at peace in the arms of the man she loves. 

Just as things should be.

As much as he tried to go back to sleep, it eluded him. So, with a sigh he gently removed himself from Midna's grasp, pressing one more kiss to her temple. 

Then he rose from the bed and left the room, heading back downstairs. He couldn't bear the thought of Time sleeping alone, not when they've been together for this long. They've all grown accustomed to sleeping together as a group, watching over each other.

Twilight made sure to avoid the night patrol guards as much as possible. Even the others too because he knows they were still in the mess hall when he left all that time ago. Thankfully, he managed to avoid that at all costs. 

The infirmary remained empty outside the doors, so quietly he snuck in, noticing that Time was more or less asleep on his right side, snores emitting from his mouth. He looked to be out like a lantern, but if he was actually asleep or faking it was another story. The old man was known for staying up at all hours of the night. 

Twilight took a seat next to the bed, admiring the relaxed face of his mentor. Time had gone through so much in such a short amount of time. His palor had come back slightly, but the dark shadows beneath his eyes still remained. He looked to be at peace and ease, his sleeping expression telling it all. 

After brushing a stray hair back, the old man shifted slightly, giving a tell-tale sign of discomfort. Twilight was ready and waiting to provide any care, but he could tell that it went away quickly. 

And thus, he was back to a peaceful state once again. 

_ What would they ever do without him?  _

_ "Dearest... It's time to wake up." _ Malon's voice cooed gently to him. His eyes opened, finding the love of his life sitting next to him on the bed. Though she was still in naught but her nightgown, her fiery auburn hair flowing down past her shoulders in rivulets, she was the perfect picture of utmost beauty. She smiled down at him, glowing in the morning light that filtered into their bedroom. 

_ "I'm dreaming, aren't I...?" _ Time asked sluggishly, a small smile on his face. Malon could only chuckle, the freckles that dotted her sunny cheeks basking in the warmth of her blush. 

Leaning forward, she pressed a kiss to his lips, murmuring all the while she played with his hair,  _ "Then it is a good dream, my love..." _ She continued to feather his lips lightly with small kisses before pressing one final kiss to his forehead.  _ "Beloved... You must wake now... Something is happening. Something is coming."  _

Time looked at her, bewildered, but was unable to respond as the dream began to melt away. Through his labored yet even breaths, he was aware of another presence in the room. A soft, gravely noise escaped his parted lips as he shifted to sit up. 

Pain lanced his entire frame, causing the elder hero to hiss in alarm. "Hylia almighty..." Time attempted again to push himself up, only to find he could hardly move at all. Tears pricked at the corner of his eyes, his teeth grit stubbornly.

_ Why couldn't he move? He had to get up! _

The sudden hiss alerted Twilight, fear running through him at the thought that the lacerations on his back had reopened. However, there was an odd force that held him down. He couldn't move or stand or run. All he could do was stare at Time in fear. 

_ What was this?  _

Then his mind drifted to Midna. _ Shit! _ No! He was not going to lose her, not when he just got her back. A sharp sting of pain shot through his skull, the base of his skull throbbing. 

Twilight knew this sensation all too well as he managed to glance up and notice that the ceiling began to swirl and change. 

No! No no no no no! Not now! 

This can't be happening right now! He glanced to Time and found the elder hero nearly frozen in place. Fear had settled in his eyes, the look of which growing ever so slightly.

Straining against the force that held him down, Time grit his teeth, managing to inch himself up into a sitting position. He locked his gaze with Twilight, fully coming to realize what was happening was all too real. 

_ They were switching...  _

Pushing out of the portal's hold took every ounce of strength Time could muster, however, he managed to lock his hand around Twi's, gasping out in pain. He could feel some of the stitches in his back break open, splitting underneath the binding around his chest. Blood began to seep once more from the wounds, pain lancing his figure and pitching him into darkness once more. 

\-------------

The switch came from out of nowhere, surprising all of the Links. None of them were prepared, some of them collapsing in pain from the massive pulse of magic that tore through the atmosphere. Others stood their ground, unable to overcome the dizzy spell that took them. As the world changed about them, all thoughts were simultaneously directed to one thought: Time was alone. 

_ They were going to be separated... _


End file.
